Predictions on Smart Homes in 2030
The world is transforming at a rapid pace. The last generation that was born before the internet came into existence is already in their twenties, and gadgets once thought as science-fiction – including virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), smartphones are used extensively today. Robotic vacuum cleaners, and driverless cars – have all become a reality within the last ten years. The way in which we relax, work, and communicate are all undergoing the transformation as our lives are becoming more and more connected through technology. As we upgrade the way we live to make room for the possibilities that technological advancement offers, a fundamental change continues to occur within our environment – homes, offices, and cities.
Smart technology is considered as an important part of our lives now, but still, there is a long way to go for it to be an established feature in every household. This will change over the next decade due to upgradation in various technologies.
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While truly a random selection, taking 2030 as a standard means to explore the external technological features with a rational degree of certainty. This allows us to research and make use of the existing models to apply current trends in the market that are expected to remain constant over the next decade simply to predict about the way we will live in the future.
Let’s take a look at some technologies that stand a chance of impacting our smart home life by the year 2030.
Artificial Intelligence
It is hard to imagine a scenario in which artificial intelligence won’t play a significant role in our daily lives. As the ability to collect and process data based on sensors, natural language and audio-video sources improves, so the pool of knowledge that informs artificially intelligent systems decisions will increase. Networks will help smart home technology to contextualize its surroundings with an increasing amount of useful data, predictive algorithms, and inference engines. Facial and voice recognition could immediately recognize various members of the household and provide informed responses to open-ended questions, as well as alter settings and trigger systems to create an ideal living environment without the need for any human interaction.
Energy Efficiency
Features such as smart ceiling fans, smart meters, and localised storage could be used to keep our energy waste to a minimum. More sophisticated smart home platforms will make managing a house more intuitive. Natural interfaces such as voice and gesture control will come to the fore, at the expense of touchscreens, switches, and mobile apps. Sophisticated whole-house integration is already possible, although it largely remains a premium service for an affluent clientele. This will change; by 2030, smart home technology will have become a standard feature in houses, becoming as critical as plumbing, lighting, windows, and doors. Technology-focused new buildings will create homes that are both extremely environmentally friendly and more resistant to environmental threats such as floods and fires.
Adaptable Homes
Many high-end smart homes already incorporate a lot of hidden technology; this is likely to be an ordinary feature in homes come 2030. Increased automation and more intuitive human interaction will mean most smart home technology can operate unseen in the background. More and more technology we use in our homes will become wireless. Static technology such as lighting fixtures, keypads and televisions could become more flexible in their configuration. As a result, it will allow them to be moved around when redesigning a room, and it will be as simple as hanging a painting.
The Privacy Trade-Off
The trade-off between personal data and access to services has become a prominent moral discussion over the last few years. Our data is a powerful currency that is crucial for systems to work effectively. As this becomes more widespread, using certain technology systems is a choice that erodes our right to privacy. That said, there are ways that a more open approach to personal data could benefit us. Merging personal calendar data with traffic reporting can let you know when to leave for work in the morning. Regarding home insurance, there are already businesses that install smart home technology for free in return for useful data that can keep houses safer and more secure, thereby reducing the number of claims being made.
Say Goodbye To Screens
The VR headsets used today for entertainment are bulky. In the future, LFD (light field displays) will eliminate the need for a display device or a headset, and directly project 4D images onto your retina from the point of focus. Such devices will change the way you entertain yourself at home and eventually be as subtle as a pair of sunglasses. As next-generation devices replace iPads, phone screens, television sets, the enormous electronics industry will reinvent itself.
By 2030, there will be new technologies that we currently do not foresee, and the rate of progress between various areas of smart home technology will vary hugely due to funding, consumer uptake, and installation costs. While smart home technology will become a more mass-market proposition, there will continue to be a market for luxury smart homes, where those who can afford it will take advantage of the latest that technology has to offer.
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Overall, the smart home has the potential to revolutionize our lives, leaving us happier, healthier and more comfortable. While cybersecurity poses an increasing risk to both our online and offline safety, the potential benefits of a more connect lifestyle vastly outweigh the risks.
Author Arindam Paul is a founding member of Atomberg Technologies, a startup working towards manufacturing unique energy efficient fans and tech-savvy products. He is currently heading the Marketing and Long-term strategy division at Atomberg and is aiming to disrupt the world of household appliances.
