Intelligent’ temperature-controlled bed sheets and shape shifting furniture that changes colour are among the incredible innovations that could be ubiquitous in homes of the future, experts say.
As technology advances, so do the structures that we live in and how we build the things we use to run and maintain, not only our homes, but our health.
People are becoming more environmentally conscious and so with that comes forward-thinking ideas to help us move into a smarter future, where we as individuals take more responsibility for caring for our planet.
A panel of experts and Smart Energy GB, a campaign for a smarter Britain, have now shared their vision of the Smart E-Home of the future, which launches today.
They met to discuss the technologies evolving now which could mean that these innovations become a reality in the not too distant future.
Smart toilets; living rooms which transform colour, texture and shape via voice-command; and living kitchens with hydroponic fruit and veg gardens are all predicted to be part of our future abodes.
Statistics show that seven in ten Brits would like to live in a more eco-friendly home while 83 per cent are interested in technology which would make their homes greener.
The panel is encouraging everyone to get a smart meter, to help create a smart grid which will use greener energy.
The high-tech sheets will mean you never again suffer a sweaty, sleepless night during a heatwave.
And the AI furniture will also have the potential to change its shape if you want to introduce new items to the room, but fear there is a lack of space.
Other future must-haves will include toilets which turn waste into fuel, and a community-based electric vehicle pooling system, could also be on the horizon.
Hydroponic fruit and vegetable gardens which grow in sand, gravel or liquid inside your house are also likely.
They also debated the small steps Brits are already taking for a cleaner, greener future, including owning a composting bin, having energy efficient white goods and getting a smart meter.
A CGI of what you could find in the living room of the house of the future. People are becoming more environmentally conscious and so with that comes forward-thinking ideas to help us move into a smarter future, where we as individuals take more responsibility for caring for our planet
Robert Llewellyn, the TV actor and presenter of YouTube channel ‘Fully Charged’, Dr. Ian Pearson, a futurologist and speaker, and Dr Jo Patterson of Cardiff University, also featuring on the panel of experts.
Smart Energy GB carried out a study on the topic among 2,000 UK adults.
The research was commissioned to reveal potential innovations in engineering and architecture which could transform the future of living sustainably, and the ‘smart grid’.
It found seven in 10 would like to live in a more eco-friendly home and 83 per cent said they were interested in new technologies which could help them achieve this.
CGI video grab of the exterior of the home of the future, with an EV charging station that works with smart meters to ensure cheaper, greener energy. The home of the future, a ‘Smart E-Home, will include temperature-controlled bed sheets and shape-shifting furniture
Dr Ian Pearson said: ‘Making homes greener certainly won’t mean making them low tech.
‘With the Smart E-Home, it’ll be possible for us to entirely redecorate our homes, without buying in new fixtures or fittings.
‘Instead we’ll use augmented reality and smart furniture made from reconfigurable materials.
‘Our homes will use renewable energy, stored in home batteries, and will make our lives easier.
‘Hydroponics, for example, will grow fresh salad and herbs, reduce the number of trips to shops while improving our diet.
‘Special LED lighting will provide the colours of light that plants prefer, avoiding waste, and of course smart meters can provide the energy for this lighting when it is cheapest.’
Britons’ predictions for the future home include a giant battery to store energy from the sun and windows which adapt to light to keep your home hot or cold without the need for heating or air conditioning.
Others anticipate a life where we can live entirely on recycled rainwater, or even have micro-turbines in homes to help generate energy.
WHAT IS THE PANEL’S VISION FOR FUTURE HOMES?
