Over the last couple of years, the general public has become accustomed to smart devices that help us achieve simple tasks with even less effort. For example, Siri, Google, and Alexa allow us to search the net without typing, turn on our TVs without pressing the button, and make purchases without lifting a finger. Although this sounds exceptionally futuristic, smart technology is here to stay; the industry just needs more work to drive interoperability and adoption across all affordability levels. Throughout this article, we will discuss the landscape of smart homes in ten years. 

AI In the Home

Artificial intelligence (AI) is already playing a large part in many homes, but we will soon see AI become a standard fixture in homes, including new builds. In its current state, smart tech requires plenty of human interaction. However, as we move into the future, AI and smart tech will learn how we live and carry out tasks automatically; the focus is being shifted from control to home automation. Facial scans and other biometrics will be used to recognise occupants, and everything will happen on its own accord. You will be able to walk up to your front door and have your house open up for you. 

Applications of AI can go much further than this – imagine a world where technology can spot dangers, including children falling, storms approaching, and unknown cars approaching. The innovation and the technology are already there in theory, it just needs more development to push it over the remaining hurdles, including security. 

Better Health

Smart tech adoption within the next decade will add caring homes into the smart space. Throughout the global pandemic, when people were stuck at home, it became apparent that non-smart homes were useless when it came to supporting ill people. In the future, the smart tech will be able to monitor a person’s health and make the home and surrounding infrastructure more accessible to them. 

Not only will smart tech be able to monitor our general health and care for us when we’re sick, but it will also have the capability to track water and air quality. When systems detect anything harmful, they will be able to alert us and attempt to make changes to conditions. However, this all relies on stronger broadband solutions that are capable of dealing with the demand. 

Interoperability

At the moment, one of the main problems keeping the smart tech space from moving forward is interoperability. There are many manufacturers that create ecosystems that only communicate with devices of the same brand. Although some smart leaders attempt to develop products with openness, it’s still a problematic commodity at the lower end of the market. For example, if you have an Apple product, you will struggle to integrate it fully with an Amazon or Google smart product. Unfortunately, some manufacturers make certain products better than others, but not all their tech is better. If devices were interoperable, there would be less friction from customers and higher adoption on the low end of the market. 

Mass Market Adoption

Smart technology is already here, which means the next decade will be an imperative time within the industry. Development in space has been accelerated by the pandemic and the drive to produce technology at an affordable level. At the moment, high-end tech only exists for those with money, but it’s just the way of the world. Unaffordable tech needs to be adapted and scaled down to the typical user to create a fully integrated smart home. Unfortunately, there are still several issues preventing this from happening, including security, interoperability, value for money, familiarity, simplicity, privacy, and affordability. Until these barriers are overcome, the low-end market will only have access to single solution smart tech. 

Smart technology, including AI, is already here, and more people are affording such devices. Over the next ten years, smart homes will become more commonplace due to increased demand highlighted by the global pandemic, and new builds will likely start installing such features as standard. In ten years’ time, we hope to have overcome some of the barriers that prevent people from accessing fully-integrated smart tech.