“But the Jetsons promised us jet packs.”
You might have heard this cry about the fact we don’t, as yet, get to boost ourselves around gleaming cities of the future with rockets strapped to our backs. Or live alongside robots who do our daily chores, including taking out the bins, mowing the lawn and washing the car.
But while we’re not quite there yet, we’re nowhere near as far off as we used to be, when the beloved Hanna-Barbera cartoon show first beamed into homes in the '60s. The rapid progress in smart home technology has been astounding to witness in the last few years, with the rise of AI taking things to the next level.
Here are some of the most exciting smart home trends to look out for in 2024:
Listen and learn
We’ve all become used to talking to home-based AI systems like Apple’s Siri, Google Assistant or Amazon's Alexa. Still, they can handle way more than playing Harry Styles’ ‘Sign of the Times’ on Spotify these days. With giant leaps in generative AI, there will come a day, not too far away, when these invisible assistants know more about us than we do.
The rate at which they’re learning, improving and integrating with other smart home systems in 2024 is mind-blowing. You can now ask them to tee up complicated chains of commands that link up things like TVs, blinds, light switches and door locks to automatically do what you want at a scheduled time each day. Many of these systems now use home cameras to read our body language too. And they'll only get brighter.
Stay Safe
Significant progress in facial and voice recognition technology has paved the way for eliminating the need for traditional house keys. Now, our homes can recognise and trust family members automatically, enhancing security.
Combining this advancement with smartphone-accessible security systems allows us to monitor our homes remotely, providing peace of mind whether we're at work or anywhere else globally, helping us find our happy place.
Chores no more
There's also been significant progress towards robot companions that handle various tasks. Cleaning assistants have made considerable leaps since the early days of the rumbling Roomba vacuum.
These days, clean-up appliances can switch tack to adjust to different surfaces and depths and even help you wash the windows as well as the floors.
And take a look at Samsung’s super-cute Ballie, another AI assistant that can help you work out, take charge of all your connected tech, call your mates and check in on your pets while you're at work (plus project videos to keep them entertained).
Cook-up
They say that food is the way to anyone’s heart, so it’s not all that surprising that kitchen appliances are getting smarter in our homes.
The ABC reported on some incredible developments at the technology-forward CES trade show in Las Vegas in January, with one of the big jaw-droppers being that fridges, which already boast touchscreen computer displays, will soon be capable of scanning what's inside and present recipes you can work with to make sure nothing goes to waste!
Elsewhere at CES, there were air fryers that figure out exactly what you pop in them and set the timer accordingly! Even basic kitchen tech is transforming, with voice activation expanding to faucets so you don't have to touch taps with mucky hands, or take the sensor approach.
Fresh perspective
It’s not just your fridge and other switched-on kitchen appliances that are getting smart; you can also start your day with fresh tech. Get ready for customisable showers that'll nail the perfect temperature for you without any tap tweaking. They'll also switch on the extractor fan when things heat up, set a timer for sustainability, and even keep you updated on breaking news or play some Harry Styles with voice activation during your morning routine.
And speaking of bathrooms, smart toilets stole the show at CES. These high-tech thrones know when to flush, can play tunes, and even light the way for you to do your business.
For more tech, interior design or style inspiration, you can visit our Studio M open house, one of our award-winning display homes, or take a virtual reality tour on our home designs pages.