The Consumer Technology Association reports nearly 30 million smart home products will be sold in 2019, a 23% increase from last year. With a significant group of homeowners installing smart home technology, home improvement website HomeAdvisor sent a team to this year’s Consumer Electronics Show. There, Dan DiClerico and team identified five ways technology will impact the American home this year. Check them out below.
Cameras will see more than ever
Advances in artificial intelligence (AI) are making for seriously smart cameras. One of the best examples at CES was an app called Smoke Detective, which turns camera-enabled devices like smartphones and baby monitors into smoke detectors. The app uses AI-enhanced algorithms to detect smoke even faster than conventional smoke detectors. Given the fact that alarms fail to sound in nearly half of all house fires, this app could help save lives and prevent billions of dollars in property damage.
Kitchen will go very high-tech
The kitchen has always been the heart of the home. And it’s poised to become the brains, as well, as smart home technology takes over. For example, GE’s new Kitchen Hub is an over-the-range vent hood with a 27-inch smart touchscreen that serves as the home’s central control center. It allows users to search the internet, create shopping lists and access thousands of recipes. It also has live video chat functionality and an overhead cooktop-facing camera for checking dishes as they cook. And with it, you can control other connected devices in the home like your thermostat, lights and door lock.
Homeowners will breathe more easily
Indoor air quality is one of the next big targets of smart home tech. Aura Air, an all-in-one air purification system, starts by monitoring the air in your home for things like smoke, allergens and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). It then uses a 5-stage purification process to remove those toxins. Its on-board voice assistant also alerts you to serious issues, such as carbon monoxide, and gives instructions on what to do.
