Homes today are barely recognizable when compared to the homes of even ten years ago. Now that we are well into a new age of technology and internet, just about every home is now chock-full of the latest high-tech devices, appliances, and entertainment. And as a result, our homes are getting smarter; with each new development, we come a step closer to fully automated homes. We already have widespread use of things such as automation of temperature and lighting controls, as well as home security systems, but what is next? Here are a few things that we can expect in the near future of home automation.
Entertainment at Home
As movie ticket (not to mention concessions) prices get higher and higher, and movies get easier to stream or download at home—in high quality, no less—more and more people are staying in instead of braving movie theatres to see the latest releases. As such, it is no surprise that advanced home entertainment systems are becoming a staple in just about every kind of home. These kinds of systems are no longer reserved solely for movie stars and athletes on MTV Cribs, but are now largely quite affordable, with many people able to buy the components and set them up themselves. As we move forward, we can expect to see homes with theater systems becoming more common than homes without.
Virtual Reality
And for those who are looking for an even more immersive home entertainment experience, virtual reality is making waves in the tech world right now. While the rest of us catch up with our movie screens and projectors, the technologically advanced will be upgrading their systems to allow virtual reality. This will affect everything from gaming to movies, documentaries, “travel” experiences, and even how we watch sports. Perhaps in the future we won’t want to leave our homes at all (well, even less than we already do)!
Touch Free Systems
Once, the idea of even having a computer inside one’s home seemed absolutely ludicrous, but soon it was a necessity; then the norm became to not only have a computer, but to have a portable laptop; and more recently we have had to adjust to the idea of keyboardless touch activated devices. Now however, it seems that we are doing away with touch altogether, as motion activated systems invade our homes. Soon, opening the fridge or turning off a light might be as simple as waving your arm in the right direction.
Eco-Friendly
One of the drawbacks of much man-made innovation is the impact that it has on the environment. However, home automation is starting to help us to finally have the reverse effect. With many home automation systems now allowing you full remote control over your utility usage, we can soon expect to add more eco-friendly automation—things such as automation of lawn sprinklers, for example.
Full Integration
Lastly, and perhaps the most important function of modern home automation, in an age where every last feature of your house is automated, full integration between devices is essential. Homes of the future will have their lights, temperature controls, security, appliances, entertainment systems, and so on, all linked together through the cloud, and all accessible from anywhere with a mobile device. Homes of the future will be the nearest thing so far to artificial intelligence—that is to say, homes that can regulate and control, and almost think, for themselves. Look around at your next tech expo, and you will realize that, in fact, many of these features are already available right now. It may be an overplayed concept, but the truth of the matter is this: the future really is right now.
