The smart home of tomorrow is designed to make our lives even more convenient. Providers like wesmartify will be at the forefront of household robots in the next 5 to 10 years, offering products that resemble a "rolling butler" or a "rolling tablet" with a camera, screen, and cup holder. The vision: "every household has at least one smart household robot."
wesmartify aims to become a pioneer in household robots. Household robots can sense their surroundings using cameras, sensors, and microphones and move around the house on wheels. Initially, household robots can be used primarily for communication and as a type of mobile security system. They will look something like vacuum cleaners and can support elderly family members and accompany them around the house. They could also conceivably provide pets with "treats." To be able to do all of this, the household robot must know and, of course, recognize the faces of the household's residents.
Crucial to the success of household robots will be that manufacturers take precautions to ensure that their moving cameras do not pose a threat to privacy. For example, the mobile household robots cannot be tapped for surveillance purposes during investigations with a court order. Private recordings must also be made available only to the users.
The motto here is: No data in the cloud. All data necessary for navigation through a home is processed on the device. The setup settings, such as which rooms can be entered or not, and whether doors to private areas can be opened or not, are entirely up to the user. Constant, complex calculations will be necessary to ensure the household robot detects obstacles and, for example, avoids falling down stairs.
Manufacturers like robot vacuum specialist iRobot are preparing for a future with mechanical household helpers that have arms. "We're at a point where we're gradually understanding the environment in which we operate to the point where we can do something like this," iRobot CEO Colin Angle recently said. Another key question is how much consumers would be willing to pay for such an innovation. "If it's $1,000, it would probably be doable." It will probably take another 10 or 20 years before household robots are built that can use stairs, have arms, and can be purchased for $1,000.
It's also conceivable that smart household robots could be equipped with a smart thermostat to control the home's climate. Or even with a smart speaker to activate a variety of interconnected smart devices via voice commands. It's also conceivable that household robots could send push notifications if, for example, the refrigerator door has been forgotten to be closed or the smoke alarm goes off.
It will be exciting to follow developments in this field and make your own contribution.
