Smart Homes

We are closer to the life that was promised in the Jetson's than ever before. Smart home technologies are already becoming a part of common household life, and the future of these emerging technologies looks bright indeed!

Already we are seeing the automation of security systems that can make a call for you in case of emergencies, robotic vacuum cleaners, video game systems that also allow users to surf the Internet, and other such innovative technologies. Future home automation will push the technology further and perform such functions as alerting a maintenance man when an appliance needs to be fixed, allowing people to use advanced computing functions on their televisions, and remembering what temperature each person prefers to shower at and maintaining that temperature for them. The toilet will even be able to clean itself!

We are also getting closer to the days when different household systems will be able to communicate between each other. Some day the refrigerator will not only be able to tell when certain items are getting low, but it will also be able to communicate with the microwave, stove, or oven to suggest recipes based on what items are currently stocked in the fridge.

With the ever increasing hectic schedules that people have, it will be nice to be able to come home and get a little help from the house itself in performing daily chores.

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Robotics and automation

In discussing robotics and automation during last class, I was compelled to consider possible future scenarios involving their use. The following are 3 possibilities:

1. Military - although robotics are currently in use in the military, due to significant funding and the desire to mitigate human casualties, use of robotics seems very likely to expand. Allowing house entries and street sweeps to be performed by robots, particularly in the midst of insurgent wars (like Iraq and Afghanistan), could have a dramatic impact on casualty rates. Here is an example of future military uses of robotics.

2. Household - home automation continues to develop and become more popular as prices continue to fall. Currently you can automate things like your thermostat, home security, window blinds, lighting, television show recording, etc. In the near future it seems likely that using technology such as RFID, we'll be able to set nearly every electric or electronic parameter in our home to adjust automatically to our very presence either within the home at large or specifically based on what room we are entering or leaving. The obvious benefit beyond simple ease is energy management. Thank god we won't have to endure the tedious task of flipping light switches for too much longer!

3. Entertainment - robotics have been used for entertainment devices for a very long time. I suppose one could even consider amusement park rides as examples of entertaining robotics. But as we saw in class in the robotic violinist video, the future holds even more abstract robotic abilities that will enhance human enjoyment. One such example, the Robonica Roboni-i, provides the user with an amazing amount of programmability. It engages in 7 games, which might not seem like a lot, but the future can be seen with a little imagination.

I personally look forward to the diaspora of robotics across all aspects of our daily lives. In particular, although I didn't mention it above, robotics holds amazing potential in the realm of medical procedures and cybernetic physical aids.