This article was taken from the February 2013 issue of Wired magazine. Be the first to read Wired's articles in print before they're posted online, and get your hands on loads of additional content by <span class="s1">subscribing online.
Wired asks a selection of academics and business types for their thoughts on this month's big question: "How will domestic technology change our homes in the next decade?"
Jodi Forlizzi
Assistant professor of design, Carnegie Mellon University "Homes will feature adaptive, self-tuning systems that adjust to individual and dynamic needs. As people age in a place, a system might give reminders, assist with or perform a task, such as cooking or cleaning. These systems will be mobile, pervasive surfaces and mobile physical assistants. They will offer personalised services."
Brian Jones
Director, Aware Home Research, Georgia Tech University "Data flowing out of the home will rival that coming in, as information heads to the cloud for processing and use in maintaining the home. Home security that tracks people will provide platforms for personalised entertainment such as whole-home gaming. Personal-service bots will assist with chores and join in social connectedness."
Kerstin Dautenhahn
Professor of AI, University of Hertfordshire "Worldwide research targets the development of flexible, adaptable, multipurpose robots for the home that provide physical, cognitive or social assistance to people and behave in a socially acceptable and intelligent manner. We've developed a companion home-bot called Sunflower to assist with carrying objects and giving reminders."
Daniel H Wilson Roboticist, author of Robopocalypse and Amped "Cheap sensors and cloud computing will help humanoid robots perform domestic duties. We may soon find ourselves
'robot-proofing' our homes. Prepare for colour-coded dishes and silverware, subtle radio-frequency-ID stickers placed on objects and/or infrared bulbs to illuminate the way for our robot friends."
Melissa Sterry
Design scientist; technology director, Earth 2 Hub "Systems will control heat, humidity and light as they respond to feedback from sensors. We'll see smart structures that enable us to shift walls, so we can sculpt our space as required. 3D printers will bring a new dimension to DIY: we won't buy goods online, we'll buy designs that we download. Many goods will be 'made at home'."
Yoky Matsuoka
Vice-president of technology, Nest "Home technology will enable people to be who they want to be.
It will not only clean your home, it will make yearly dentist appointments. It will turn down lights and music when you are out and turn them up before you return. And it will conduct early diagnostics and constant monitoring for physical and neurological health."
Jean-Yves Hepp
Inventor of Qooq app (kitchen tablet) "Digital contents and services are going to take over the home.
Their immediate use can be controlling all the key functions of the home such as energy and security. Distributed on dedicated terminals such as tablets, they become the ideal companions for all activities in the home whether it be DIY, gardening, cooking or culture."
This article was originally published by WIRED UK
