Infographic: The future of smart homes

A mirror which gives you skincare advice or a device which tells you what your dog is saying; how ready are you for the home of tomorrow? Here, Heshaam Hague, Outreach Executive from Service Octopus give us a view into what the smart homes of the future will look like.

The clean, green and connected – how the kitchens of tomorrow will communicate like never before.

Although all areas of the house are becoming increasingly high tech – take the bed that automatically adjusts to improve the quality of sleep or the toilet that can diagnose medical conditions for example – it’s the kitchen that seems to be emerging as the tech hub of the home. From tables that give you recipe ideas to fridges that tell you when it’s time to go to the shop, the kitchens of tomorrow will be better connected and more communicative than ever.

So exactly what will our kitchens look like in the future and how will they behave in five, ten or even 20 years? Service Octopus have created an infographic that’s done just that.

Waste not, want not

According to recent data from waste and recycling advisory body Wrap, Brits throw away around £13bn of food every year. That equates to 7.3m tonnes of produce, 4.4m tonnes of which is deemed to be avoidable. However, if tech companies have their way, the kitchens of the future will address this colossal waste and help us to save money in the process.

One of the big names leading the way in anti-waste tech for the home is IKEA. Their ‘Smart Table’, part of the company’s 2025 ‘Future Kitchen’ concept will use a combination of cameras, sensors and heating coils to “inspire people to be more creative with food and throw away less”. As well as helping to reduce waste, this innovation will transform the humble table into an effective communication tool.

Connect to your kitchen via your smartphone

In just a few months time you’ll be able to install the FridgeCam into your fridge freezer. Log into the camera from wherever you are in the world via your smartphone to see if it’s time to restock your grocery supplies.

In the future, you’ll be able to make your very own episode of ‘The Great British Bake Off’, by investing in the Smart Oven from AEG. The device’s built in camera will send a live video feed straight to your smart phone or tablet computer, allowing you to watch your bakes and roasts as they brown to perfection.

If you want to take kitchen automation one step further, Moley Robotics are developing a robot that “cooks with the skill and flair of a master chef”. Once perfected, this most futuristic of future tech pieces will allow you to sit back and watch as your dinner is freshly prepared.

Use your home to charge your phone

Scientists at Michigan State University are perfecting ways to integrate photovoltaic cells into transparent windows. As Doctor Richard Lunt says, “It opens a lot of area to deploy solar energy in a non-intrusive way”.  If you’re keen to generate your own green energy you’ll be pleased to hear that solar windows could be just a few months away.

This type of nanotechnology is also being used in textiles. Experts at the University of Central Florida are in the process of developing technology that can be incorporated into fabric, allowing clothes to harvest and store the sun’s energy. In just a few years time you may be able to charge your smartphone simply by slipping it into your pocket when you’re out and about in the sun.

To find out what other innovations will be transforming the kitchens of the future and more, take a look at the infographic below.