As with nearly every other facet of our modern world, the homes we live in are becoming smarter and more technologically advanced seemingly with each passing year.
Thanks to millions of dollars of investments into car technology, we now have vehicles on the road that are safer, cleaner, and can drive and park by themselves without driver intervention.
No, we still don’t have flying cars yet, but the advancements in home technology will completely change how we live our lives.
With huge advancements in biometrics, you can own a smart home that knows who you are, what you like, and can even help you conserve energy. It does this all by remote access. You wear a bracelet or some similar type of device and it will tell you apart from other family members living in the home.
By reading your heartbeat, the house can determine your mood and preferences. Is your skin warm or cold? It will adjust the temperature in the room. Does it sense you’re about to walk into your study? It will turn the lights on for you (and turn them off again when you leave).
There are a lot apps as well that will allow you to see who’s at the door, detect movement, turn on lights, and even play custom music to your specifications.
In simple words, you can control your whole living experience from your wrist or smartphone. The more you wear and use this technology, a pattern about your habits begins to emerge. That means your home will only get smarter and adapt.
Making Economic and Environmental Sense
As technology and the internet continues to improve our lives, it opens the door for more opportunities to live smarter and more connected to all that goes on around us.
For example, the refrigerator with a touch screen, webcam, and app you can pull up on your phone. If you forgot to check if you need a gallon of milk on your way home from work, all you do is pull up the app and can see exactly what’s inside the fridge. While this technology is cool, scientists are fundamentally changing the way we use refrigerators so they’re also environmentally friendly as well.
Rather than using coolants in a process known as water vapor compression to generate cold air, researchers have found new ways of keeping your food cold using magnets. It’s called the magnetocaloric effect, meaning you can raise or lower the temperature of an object by changing its magnetic field.
Another uses a cooling fluid that’s water-based, cutting down on the amount of electricity used. That’s great for the environment and the pocket book.
Any time you get to add new technology to an already established system, and discover new ways of doing it better while not harming the environment, it’s a slam dunk. Consider the various wireless sensors designed to make your home more energy efficient. They will control lighting units, heating and cooling systems, and the like by measuring the temperature of the room, humidity and light levels and adjust accordingly.
There are even advanced windows which are highly insulated and can detect the amount of sunlight in a room. They will darken or lighten, much like transition lenses on a pair of glasses that go dark to protect your eyes when you step outside into a bright, sunny day. This measure will save consumers money and energy.
Nearly every part of your home is upgradable to more energy-efficient and bill saving options. With smarter and more efficient appliances, roofs, windows, siding, and insulation, all connected to smart technology, biometrics, and apps, your home will know how to keep you comfortable while saving the environment and your pocket book.
