With the inclusion of smart technology at the Millennium Village in Greenwich and developments such as Wilcon Homes’ Tower Village in Northampton, there are signs that developers are starting to target technology-literate homebuyers.
High-speed data cabling has been installed in these developments to enable the integration and deployment of networked devices. This enables smart devices to ‘talk’ to each other and be controlled by users from screen-type devices in any room. High-speed ADSL internet links will ensure that these appliances have a link to the outside world.
With the infrastructure in place the next question pioneering homebuilders need to consider is what kind of appliances and intelligent devices will be integrated into the smart homes of the future.
Peter Latter, BT’s e-home development manager, is responsible for spotting future trends in the home. He believes the web will spread all over the house. Ericsson offers a glimpse of things to come with the recent launch of its HS210 cordless screen phone, which combines internet access with telephony and e-mail.
Residents will be able to access a home management tool from these screens, says Latter, which may contain functions such as a home diary. This allows friends and work colleagues to check on residents, availabilty over the web.
Residents will be interfacing with the technology predominantly in the kitchen, predicts Latter, since this is where the majority of decision-making in the family takes place. Ariston is planning to launch an interactive kitchen monitor later this year called Leorn@rdo. Containing PC-like electronics it is a small touch-screen device that contains functions such as diary, calendar and shopping list.
Leon@rdo will also be able to communicate with appliances such as the digital oven also being developed by Ariston. Users will be able to download recipes from the internet and the cooker will automatically set the correct temperatures and turn itself off when the food is cooked.
Elsewhere in the kitchen manufacturers are working on smart fridges that read barcodes on food packaging and create shopping lists that could be used to automatically reorder products from online shops. Whirlpool is one of the companies developing an internet connected fridge. Its prototype has a removable touch-screen pad that can control other appliances attached to the home network.
Smart technologies can also encourage residents to be less wasteful. NCR has produced a prototype of a smart bin that recognises rubbish by scanning barcodes on packaging. NCR claims it can then segment the rubbish into eco-friendly bottle, can and food disposal areas.
All these smart devices will be connected by wireless, cable or powerline technology, says Latter, depending on the device’s data requirements. Ariston is planning to use power lines to link its digital appliances, and its intelligent margherita2000.com washing machine can access the internet and its service centre through a built-in mobile phone.
A data network will be necessary to monitor energy supplies, though. In the Millennium Village digital meters will let residents control their energy use via web devices. They will be able to benchmark their consumption against typical energy usage figures for their type of home provided by the management company.
In the future Latter says that home management systems will be able to constantly monitor gas and electricity prices online, and automatically switch residents to suppliers with the lowest prices. Appliances such as washing machines could also be programmed to come on when electricity is at its cheapest, says Latter.
Television will be transformed by broadband ‘always-on’ internet technology, says Latter. Viewers will be able to watch thousands of TV channels over the internet and download any programmes they’ve missed, he says. The current 80 000 internet radio sites support this claim.
Users could also specify what kind of information they receive over the internet. An alarm that wakes you up ten minutes earlier than usual because it’s found that there’s been a traffic accident on your usual route to work, is one possible extension of this type of technology.
Music won’t be bought on CD but downloaded from the internet and played on MP3 devices. Users may be able to download music directly into their car stereos, according to Latter, which will be connected to hard disk-type devices.
The internet will be a boon for security and alarm makers. Cameras dotted around the home will automatically broadcast pictures on the web if movement sensors are triggered. The alarms will be capable of being armed by mobile phone.
Residents will also potentially be able to define their own private space around the home by wearing smart key devices. For example, parents may have access to every room in the house bar their teenagers’ bedrooms, while visitors without any form of smart key would be confined to the entertainment areas. Central locking, a feature that’s been available in cars for years, will make an appearance in the Millennium Village.
A community intranet will also link every resident to a high-speed network at the Millennium Village. This will offer information on local events, public transport, neighbourhood watch, village management and community issues.
For housebuilders the challenge will be to link the technology into service provision. “The mechanical infrastructure that is being installed opens up a wealth of opportunities,” says Robert Blackwell, business manager for construction markets at BT. “A lot of the technology, such as video on demand, will be automated so once the investment has been made there will be little extra cost. Within 12 months you should get a return,” he says.
Source
Building Homes
