A recent article of Wired magazine reported on an experiment in the Department of Cybernetics at the University of Reading near London. Kevin Warwick, professor of cybernetics, had a chip implanted into his arm that transmitted signals with radio waves into a network of antennas located throughout the department.

The chip caused his movements to "impact" the built space in which he moved. When Warwick entered the room, the room automatically adjusted its temperature and lighting to correspond with his personal preferences. At the main entrance, a voice box always greeted him by name (meaning the room "knew" who was there). Doors responded automatically to Warwick’s presence.

This is just one example of how technology will be influencing our homes in the future. Here are some new household technologies and appliances that are on the very near horizon.

• The RL500 Robotic Mower built by Friendly Robotics is able to automatically mow a lawn and then go back to its home base to recharge itself.
• Stanley’s Welcome Watch Door features a built in remote controlled locking feature that also turns on the lights inside as you approach the door.
• The Time Helper Alarm Clock from Thalia can communicate with the electric blanket, to prewarm at a certain hour, tell the coffeepot to begin brewing at a certain hour, and greet you with personalized information downloaded from the Internet.
• The Whirlpool Wired Refrigerator is Internet-ready featuring a touch screen on the door that includes a bar scanner. The scanner scans an item automatically as it is pulled from the refrigerator and automatically orders the product (to replace the one taken). The refrigerator communicates the cooking settings to the microwave automatically.
• The Eureka Robotic Vacuum uses sensors to vacuum the edges of the room and then begins vacuuming the interior, moving in and around furniture.
• The J-Allure Luxury Shower from Jacuzzi is a completely wired luxury shower with fully customizable control panel which lets you preset water pressure, spray pressure, and temperature setting for individual users. It also features a built in stereo/CD system with Internet hookup capabilities.

Talk

As a young and middle-aged man, Mahatma Gandhi had no idea that one day he would become a great spiritual and political leader. He was born into a middle-class family, later becoming a prominent lawyer. At the age of 50, he experienced what you would probably call a mid-life identity crisis. It was at that time that he decided to become involved in national politics, "finding himself" after his sixty-fifth birthday. He quit the Indian National Congress and moved on to a new stage, adopting the simple style of life and social change ideals for which he is known today. Gandhi was in his sixties and seventies when his power and vision were at their height in India. Instead of declining as he aged, his moral and political force grew.

You could compare his life with the development of a butterfly from its caterpillar stage. Gandhi’s early life gave no indication of the dynamic and charismatic person he would evolve into or the tremendous global influence he would have.

Mother Teresa and Albert Schweitzer also experienced a series of life cycles before achieving the successes that brought them to the world’s attention. The examples of Gandhi, Mother Teresa, and Albert Schweitzer are just a sampling of those who have grown old gracefully. Looking at their lives should take some of the fear out of growing old with the realization that we all have characteristics and talents hidden deep within, waiting to take shape and blossom in our later years.

Published: July 3, 2002

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