How Will We Live?
Will the homes of the future be located in tall skyscrapers like these in Dubai? And what will life inside the home really be like?
Picture this: You wake up in the morning. A soft light turns on in your room. You go into the bathroom and the shower starts. The water is the perfect temperature. After your shower, you go into the kitchen. Your favorite breakfast is already cooked, and it’s on the table, ready to eat. Now it’s time to go to work. It’s a rainy day. You live alone, but you find that your umbrella and hat are already by the door. How is all this possible? Welcome to your future life!
Appliances That Talk
Technology will allow homes in the future to be “smart.” Appliances will communicate with each other—and with you. Your stove, for instance, will tell you when your food is cooked and ready to eat. Refrigerators will suggest recipes based on food items you already have.
The technology is possible because of tiny information-storing devices called RFID chips. People already use them to keep track of pets and farm animals. Future RFID chips will store information about all the items in your cabinets. For example, they will record the date that you bought each item. Other devices will “read” this information using radio waves. When you need more food, your cabinets will tell you to buy it.
Houses that Think
Are you tired of the color or pattern of your walls? In a smart home, you won’t have to repaint them. The walls will actually be digital screens, like computer or TV screens. The technology is called OLED, and it’s here already. OLEDs are tiny devices that use electricity to light things. You can find the same technology in today’s thin TV screens. OLED walls will become clear, like windows, or display colors and patterns, like walls.
A computer network will link these walls with everything else in your house. Called “ambient intelligence,” this computer “brain” will control your entire house. It will also adapt to your preferences. Your house will learn about your likes and dislikes. It will then use that knowledge to control the environment. For example, it will set the heat in the house to your favorite temperature. It will turn on the shower at the right temperature. It will also darken the windows at night and lighten them when it’s time to wake up.
Robots That Feel?
But how about your cooked breakfast, and the umbrella and hat you found by the door? For those, you can thank your robot helper. Futurologists predict that many homes will have robots in the future. Robots already do many things such as building cars and vacuuming floors. But scientists today are starting to build friendlier, more intelligent robots—ones that people will feel more comfortable having around in the house.
Sociable robots will be able to show feelings with their faces, just like humans. They will smile and frown, make eye contact, and speak. These robots will do work around the house such as cooking and cleaning. They will even take care of children and the elderly. How soon will this smart home be a reality? There’s a good chance it will be a part of your life in 25 or 30 years, perhaps sooner. Much of the technology is already here.