Voice-controlled homes have been appearing on television since at least the 1990s. But is that what we’re really heading towards?
With the rise of Alexa, dash buttons and other smart home devices, we may soon see further changes in how we live our lives at home. Below, 10 technology leaders from Forbes Technology Council offer their take on how technology will impact our homes in the coming years.
David Paul Morris/Bloomberg
1. A Lot Less Clutter
Since more information will be stored in data devices rather than physical things, our houses will most likely become much more stark in their appearance and contain less clutter. We may even opt for much smaller spaces for our houses, considering the minimal amount of physical things we will need. – Chalmers Brown, Due
2. Everything Out Of Sight
I’m looking forward to less clutter. Think about the big ticket items your phone has replaced. That is going to happen in the home as well. Kids are always going to want markers and paper and glue (I hope!), but everything else can go. I want all of my household items to be stored out of sight. If my home knows how to proactively suggest what I need, right when I need it, all the better. – Timothy Chaves, ZipBooks
3. Voice UI Interfaces
Voice as a UI will drive smart home technology adoption in the next 5-10 years. Natural language processing and conversational technologies will continue to advance such that the average consumer can leverage smart home technology without the complexities that have hampered the sector in the past. The ease of use of conversational instruction and feedback will drive consumer adoption. – Leon Hounshell, Greenwave Systems
4. No More Control Panels
Our smartphones have become remote controls for so many elements of our home life, so I expect to see less and less in the way of control panels such as thermostats, electronics dials (on washing machines, dishwashers, stoves, etc.) and perhaps even, eventually, light switches. – Andrew Kucheriavy, Intechnic
5. Smartphones As The Central Hub
As more devices are connected to the internet, the smartphone will become the central hub and interface to manage and control all elements of your home. This will include anything from a light switch to home entertainment, appliances, garage doors, cooling and heating, security and locks, even babysitting! You can control all of these from work or from thousands of miles away. You can even open the door for your AirBnB guests. – Arash Asli, Yocale
