Skip to content

TechRepublic

  • Top Products Lists
  • AI
  • Developer
  • Payroll
  • Security
  • Project Management
  • TechRepublic Academy
  • Innovation
  • Cheat Sheets
  • Cloud
  • 5G
  • Big Data
  • TechRepublic Premium
  • Top Products Lists
  • AI
  • Developer
  • Payroll
  • Security
  • Project Management
  • TechRepublic Academy
  • Innovation
  • Cheat Sheets
  • Cloud
  • 5G
  • Big Data
  • See All Topics
  • Sponsored
  • Newsletters
  • Forums
  • Resource Library
TechRepublic Premium
Join / Sign In
After Hours

Photos: Live large in this smart home

By Bill Detwiler September 18, 2006, 9:00 PM PDT on Twitter billdetwiler

Image
1
of 14

House
House
Photos: Live large in this smart home

Neha Tiwari/CNET News.com

From the outside, the Popular Science/Sunset Magazine House of Innovation–on show in Alamo, Calif., until November–looks like a typical suburban home. But step inside and get a glimpse of the home of the future. It’s just one flying car and a robotic housekeeper away from a set-up the Jetsons would call home.

Neha Tiwari/CNET News.com
Photos: Live large in this smart home

The Pro Home Systems Programmed Crestron Control System integrates media into the home. With one touch, users can activate music or video to be played throughout the home or in a specific room. Speakers and displays in the house are networked, so media files on the hard drive of the home’s main computer can be played virtually anywhere. The control system also has an AM/FM radio, XM satellite radio and a CD player.

Photos: Live large in this smart home

Curtains are so 2005. With Liquid Crystal Glass window technology, future home residents can ensure instant privacy with the touch of a button. When this window’s control is in the “on” position, particles in the window become active, allowing light to pass through the glass, thus creating a clear view to the outside. In the “off” position, the glass becomes opaque, blocking visual access from either side of the glass.

Photos: Live large in this smart home

Many cars today have the ability to “remember” seat preferences for multiple drivers. Now that same kind of customization can be used to avoid playing the guessing game with your shower’s temperature controls.rnrn

This shower and control panel from Kohler lets users develop their own shower preferences and save custom profiles. With a panel outside the shower, one can control the temperature and which of the system’s five showerheads (one overhead, one free-moving handheld and three lateral, wall-mounted) are used. A second panel is located on the inside of the shower for instant customization. Want one? Count on paying over $500 for one of these hot gizmos.

rnrn

The shower is enclosed with streak-resistant, phase-change glass for instant privacy and less scrubbing.

rnrn

Just outside the shower, a heated glass and metal rack using EGP Thermique HOT Glass keeps towels warm.

Photos: Live large in this smart home

And we thought bidets were only used in Europe. This bidet seat by Kohler not only expels temperature-controlled water, but also warms up the seat. Users can also control the nozzle and water stream.

Photos: Live large in this smart home

This baby seat will spend more time in the car of the future than the home. Instead of being stationary like today’s baby seats, the inner pod oscillates with the movement of the car, keeping Baby from being jostled about on bumpy roads. In case of a sudden jerk or halt, the car seat moves accordingly to shield the child from potential impact and hopefully preventing more injuries.

Photos: Live large in this smart home

Basic requirements for a desirable wine cellar have always been the following: First, a dark room; second, cool temperatures; and third, bottle shelves made of wood. Those rules get an upgrade in the home of the future.rnrn

This walk-in wine vault by General Electric uses an electronic inventory-management system, based on printable bar codes, that will help wine connoisseurs keep tabs on their collections–and even sends alerts when a specific wine is at its peak.

Photos: Live large in this smart home

A touch screen on the exterior of the wine cellar can be used to categorize, file into a designated space and track any bottle that comes into the cellar. If the bottle is taken out, just run it through the bar code scanner, and the inventory will be automatically updated.

Photos: Live large in this smart home

What would a home of the future be without an army of iRobots? The iRobot Roomba Scheduler can set up to seven cleaning times to operate, even when you aren’t at home. The iRobot Scooba not only vacuums, but also squirts, scrubs, squeegees and dries floors with suction. Both are about the size of a dinner plate.

Photos: Live large in this smart home

The robot goodness doesn’t stop indoors. The LawnBott Evolution keeps lawns trim–no human required. The Evolution uses adaptive programming technology to reprogram itself to meet a lawn’s changing cutting needs. The LawnBott can cut up to 33,000 square feet of grass and can even handle anything under a 27-degree incline.rnrn

The grass this Lawnbott is resting on is no typical grass. It’s called Drivable Grass and, with its porous structure, it has maximized water retention, meaning less runoff to oceans, lakes and other water supplies.

Photos: Live large in this smart home

The Roboreptile (left) may seem to be somewhat of an anachronism, but that doesn’t mean it’s not cool. Manufactured by WowWee, it can be remote controlled or can roam freely to find food, and has various moods. The Draganfly V Ti (right) is more than just your average remote-control flying toy. With its ability to film, and then wirelessly transmit real-time video to a television, camcorder, VCR or computer, these high-tech toys might be a bigger hit with the “big kids” in the household.

Photos: Live large in this smart home

What else will change in the home of the future? Your printer. 2D papers will be a thing of the past with the Dimension 3D printing groups latest. Need a blender? Just program the design into the printer, and some time later, you have a tangible, 3D plastic blender in your hands. They are available now, but currently cost as much as a mid-size car.

Photos: Live large in this smart home

The iControl network camera may stand less than 3 inches tall, but it can serve as a watchful eye over homes in the future. It allows residents to monitor their house and control the home environment while they are away. The networked camera is one of a seven-part package, which includes a keychain remote, thermostat, and door and window sensor. The iControl system can also be used to monitor children and pets from a distance.

Photos: Live large in this smart home

In the great room of the idea home sits the G-Tech ElekTex keyboard, paired with the Samsung Q1 Ultramobile PC. Weighing in at only 1.7 lbs., the Q1 combines the functions of a PDA, MP3 player, personal media player, storage device and tablet PC. The G-Tech ElekTex keyboard supports Bluetooth connectivity and is compatible with a variety of PDAs and smart phones.

  • After Hours
  • Account Information

    Share with Your Friends

    Photos: Live large in this smart home

    Your email has been sent

Share: Photos: Live large in this smart home
Image of Bill Detwiler
By Bill Detwiler
Bill Detwiler is the Editor for Technical Content and Ecosystem at Celonis. He is the former Editor in Chief of TechRepublic and previous host of TechRepublic's Dynamic Developer podcast and Cracking Open, CNET and TechRepublic's popular online show.
  • Account Information

    Contact Bill Detwiler

    Your message has been sent

  • |
  • See all of Bill's content

TechRepublic Premium

  • TechRepublic Premium

    Office relocation checklist

    PURPOSE New office launches and site relocations run the range from straightforward to overly complex. For intricate, sophisticated new office deployments and larger site moves, TechRepublic Premium’s Office relocation checklist can help plan, monitor and execute such projects. From the checklist: LIST REQUIRED OF EQUIPMENT AND SERVICES Begin by creating a simple list of required ...

    Downloads
    Published:  May 25, 2023, 4:00 PM EDT Modified:  May 26, 2023, 11:17 AM EDT Read More See more TechRepublic Premium
  • TechRepublic Premium

    Onboarding and offboarding IT staff checklist

    PURPOSE Onboarding and offboarding employees requires careful attention. Otherwise, team members may receive insufficient permissions to perform their jobs or continue to have access long after their employment’s termination. Given the stakes, the problem is even worse when managing IT staff permissions, so it’s imperative that your company adopts a system to ensure consistency. Employees, ...

    Downloads
    Published:  May 24, 2023, 4:00 PM EDT Modified:  May 25, 2023, 9:19 AM EDT Read More See more TechRepublic Premium
  • TechRepublic Premium

    10 must-know Firefox tips

    PURPOSE TechRepublic Premium presents 10 tips for the Firefox open-source browser. Even if you only follow some of these, you’ll find your browser experience to be much improved. From the article: 1. USE CAUTION WITH ADD-ONS AND THEMES This is one of the first tips I always offer. I’ve seen web browsers with so many ...

    Downloads
    Published:  May 23, 2023, 4:00 PM EDT Modified:  May 24, 2023, 6:46 PM EDT Read More See more TechRepublic Premium
  • TechRepublic Premium

    Bring your own device policy

    PURPOSE The purpose of this Bring your own device policy from TechRepublic Premium is to provide requirements for BYOD usage and establish the steps that both users and the IT department should follow to initialize, support and remove devices from company access. These requirements must be followed as documented in order to protect company systems ...

    Downloads
    Published:  May 22, 2023, 4:00 PM EDT Modified:  May 23, 2023, 7:26 PM EDT Read More See more TechRepublic Premium

Services

  • About Us
  • Newsletters
  • RSS Feeds
  • Site Map
  • Site Help & Feedback
  • FAQ
  • Advertise
  • Do Not Sell My Information

Explore

  • Downloads
  • TechRepublic Forums
  • Meet the Team
  • TechRepublic Academy
  • TechRepublic Premium
  • Resource Library
  • Photos
  • Videos
  • TechRepublic
  • TechRepublic on Twitter
  • TechRepublic on Facebook
  • TechRepublic on LinkedIn
  • TechRepublic on Flipboard
© 2023 TechnologyAdvice. All rights reserved.
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Property of TechnologyAdvice