Gone are the days when smart home tech is reserved for only the luxurious lifestyle. Nowadays, smart home tech is a common feature that home buyers are also considering when purchasing their home. Statista estimates that there are over 52.2 million smart homes across the United States in 2021, a 10% increase from 2020.
As smart homes become fully integrated and connected, homeowners can enjoy a seamless and holistic experience in a snap. What’s next? The annual Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas featured some of the emerging smart home technology innovations that we should watch out for this 2022.
Smart security getting smarter
As the pandemic ushered in a surge of online shopping, it became a common gesture for homeowners to request the delivery man to leave the packages on the porch. However, these packages become targets for thieves. Worry not! These smart home tech devices bring good news with new, smarter features.
Eufy, a smart home brand, has a battery-powered 1080p dual-camera option that captures porch visitors in a 160-degree field of view. It also has a second camera that shoots below eye level with a 120-degree range. This means homeowners can see the visitors approaching the porch and at the same time, monitor the packages on the porch floor. They can watch both cams at the same time as the app splits the screen automatically between the two cameras.
Furthermore, the AI in the device can recognize and identify deliveries left at doorways, as well as the homeowner’s friends and family. It sends notifications when someone approaches a package left behind.
Cleanliness — the smart way
The pandemic paved the way for more smart home devices that prioritize home cleanliness like smart humidifiers and air quality sensors. The well-known robot vacuum maker Ecovacs has announced a significant improvement to its newest vacuum, the Ecovacs Deebot X1. It will not only automatically vacuum and mop, but also empties debris, washes, dries, and refills the mop all by itself.
But another major idea along with cleanliness was the concept of touchless, especially in the bathroom. The new MotionSense Wave faucet lets the homeowner control the water flow without laying a hand on the faucet.
Smart and healthy
Since the pandemic began, people have been more conscious about improving their health. Thus, another concept that many smart home tech companies are trying to address is health and wellness. In the CES 2022, one of the highlights are new smart sleep solutions that can improve the quality of sleep at night, as well as solutions that can adapt to the users’ changing needs as they age.
Sleep Number considers the human sleep requirement (which changes as the body ages) in its new 360 Smart Bed. Several sensors in it detect things that might interfere with a good night’s sleep, such as snoring and temperature variations. The Smart Bed comes with the Sleep Number app which can point out early signs of issues like sleep apnea, insomnia, and more while also providing a breakdown of the user’s vital sleep information.
Final Thoughts
Since its modern beginning in 1975 when X10 was developed by Pico Electronics, smart home technology has evolved into thousands of smart home devices, apps, and services that can cover every inch of a house. Appliances, door locks, security systems, even shower heads and beds can be integrated, and voice activated!
However, innovations showed the strong influence of the pandemic on smart home technology. Indeed, there is a new normal way of living that focuses more on security, cleanliness, and health. In the same way, when it comes to real estate, it is most likely that potential home buyers will also prioritize the said aspects.
Photo Credit: Compliments of Eufy