CES 2020 is around the corner, which means all the tech specialists are launching their predictions, while companies are teasing their wares, and home tech brands are no different. Reports suggest that these 5 trends will dominate the smart home sector in 2020, reshaping how we all live and bringing upgrades to already popular devices.
Cameras Everywhere
Connected cameras have gained substantial market share over recent years, primarily as part of wireless home security systems, but that’s hardly the only place we’ll see cameras next year. No, in addition to more conventional surveillance, Digital Trends reports that we’re likely to see video-equipped robotic vacuums next year. The idea is that they may act as an extension of the home security system, but at a more practical level, camera-equipped vacuums will be better able to deal with obstacles in the home environment, such as wires, pets, and furniture.
Energy Enhancements
Today’s consumers are deeply concerned about reducing energy consumption and moving toward more sustainable practices, and smart home technology plays an important role in this shift. Advances are also making it easier to combine discrete appliances and devices in new ways. For example, homeowners can opt for an energy efficient gas fireplace and then pair them with smart thermostats and voice assistant technology, controlling when the heat runs. As long as the home is wired properly, it’s fairly easy to connect any appliance to the larger home network.
Outdoor Upgrades
As with energy waste, modern homeowners also want to cut back on water waste – and in some parts of the country, like California where droughts are common, reducing water waste is actually a legal mandate. Next year, expect to see a shift from the old standard automatic sprinklers that run on a baseline schedule to more sensitive smart sprinklers. These sprinklers will use weather analysis and moisture sensing to recalibrate the watering schedule so that the sprinklers don’t run just after that big storm.
Health Comes Home
Most of the major health tech innovations in recent years have centered on wearables or professional applications, but in 2020, connected health will come home. In particular, Humana plans to demonstrate some of its Studio H projects, its in-house technology and design arm, alongside connected devices that will help seniors live independently in their own homes. Looking even further ahead, Studio H hopes machine learning technology will transform health for all Humana’s members, linking the individual, home, and clinician.
A Smart Sous Chef
Kitchen appliances have been slowly moving online, but most of what we’ve seen so far are things like networked ovens users can preheat from their phones or refrigerators with touch screens in the doors. In the next few years, expect the emergence of fully connected kitchens, allowing home chefs to plan out meals, remotely operate smaller appliances, and generally prepare multi-course meals with minimal labor.
We’re not quite living like the Jetsons, but today’s smart homes are starting to reflect our visions of the future and the underlying technology is only getting better. As sensors continue to improve and basic networked devices start coming standard on new construction, we’ll start to understand just how much these devices can do.
