It's Getting Real: 6 Fictional Smart Home Features

By David Glenn

Ever since science fiction became a thing, there’s been a dissonance between the super-technology available to imaginary characters in various forms of media, and the relatively lame technology that those of us chumps stuck in the real world have to muck around with. Seriously, how is it that everyone from Luke Skywalker to James Bond to freaking Buckaroo Banzai gets to enjoy freestanding holographic light projections, while I’m stuck with a migraine and goggle-lines on may face after five minutes in front of a 3D television? However, thanks to recent advances in wireless communication and techno-sorcery, some of the coolest home gadgets of the fictional universe are quickly becoming a reality. Here are six fictional smart home features coming soon to a living space near you.

1. Robotic vacuum cleaner (The Jetsons)

OK, this one has actually been available for a while (the company iRobot first released the robotic “Roomba” back in 2002), but that doesn’t mean that robotic vacuum cleaners aren’t wicked awesome. Think about it; when The Jetsons debuted in 1962, the creators thought that the idea of flying cars and sassy robot maids were just as likely to exist in the world of the future as wireless, self guided vacuum cleaners. And you know what? two out of three isn’t bad. Today, there are several different designs and models of robotic vacuums, and all of them would be right at home in the Jetson household.

2. Retinal scanners (Minority Report)

The basic purpose of a door lock is to only allow entrance to those with legal authorization. When it comes to the home, this is usually accomplished via a door lock and a unique key. However, fiction has been showing us for decades that there is a better way. The human retina is incredibly complex, and totally unique to each and every person on earth. As such, we’ve been treated to dozens of movies in which a character must allow a camera device to verify their identity by mapping out their retina. Consider the film Minority Report: The main character actually get his eyes transplanted so that he can’t be identified, but still keeps his original eyes in a plastic bag so that he can use them to access areas that were once open to him. Fiction? You bet, but new devices such as eyeLock aim to change that. By using retinal scans (or, more specifically, iris-scans), eyeLock is designed to allow identity verification for websites, but it doesn’t take much of an imagination-stretch to see it being used in conjunction with home door locks.

3. Hover furniture (Star Wars franchise)

One of the most obvious non-existent technologies in the Star Wars franchise is the anti-gravity drive. Go ahead and watch all of the movies; you’re not going to see much in the way of wheels. Instead you’ll see all sorts of things that float. Speeders, bikes, certain robots, and even the occasional chair. The great thing is that you don’t need anti-gravity to enjoy floating furniture. Companies such as D.K. and Wei have revealed plans to market magnet-powered levitating chairs and couches. Just don’t sit on one if you have a pacemaker...

4. Internet fridge (The 6th Day)

There aren’t very many reasons to remember the movie The 6th Day, but the smart fridge that reminds Arnold Schwarzenegger’s character that he’s getting low on milk could qualify. It’s not a plot-relevant scene, and it only gets a couple of seconds of screen time, but it accurately predicted way back in the year 2000 our increasing need to automate and integrate our appliances. Internet refrigerators are a perfect example. Actually, they were first released back around the same time as The 6th Day, but thanks to their high price and limited usefulness, they promptly flopped. Of course, 14 years can make a big difference, technologically speaking, and some groups are revisiting the possibility of creating a smart fridge that consumers may actually want (provided it consists of more than just a refrigerator with an iPad stuck to the front).

5. Smart mirror (Iron Man franchise)

Is there a single surface of Iron Man’s house that doesn’t double as a touchscreen smart display? Perhaps the most interesting is his smart mirror. It is able to retrieve information, display vital data, and look really neat and future-ish thanks to about a dozen different widgets, all while still performing the basic function of a mirror—in that it has a reflective surface. Toshiba is flirting with similar designs in the form of its “Multi-Display in Black Mirror.” These mirrors could even be controlled with gestures and hand waves, thus ensuring that your groggy morning routine be especially hilarious to any onlookers.

Via gizmag.com

6. Omnipresent home computer (I, Robot)

Look, let’s just be clear: Learning-thermostats, automatic door locks, and appliances that can turn themselves on and off are all pretty neat, but the the obvious end goal of home automation can be nothing less than the ability to create a truly intelligent house—the kind of home in which you can speak verbal commands into the air and have it respond in kind. In the 2004 film I, Robot, this is realized through the A.I. character VIKI, who also just happens to end up being the film’s main villain (oh, spoiler alert, I guess).

And while we’re not quite at the point of creating computer intelligences that have the potential to rise up and overthrow humanity, we can have the next best thing. Ubi is a small, voice-activated computer that plugs into any home electrical outlet and connects wirelessly to the internet. Through this connection it can answer questions, monitor your home, and be used to voice-control other home automation devices. Sound like science fiction? Well, it’s closer than you might think; after successfully generating the necessary funds via Kickstarter, Ubi has entered Beta and is currently generating feedback from select product testers.

There are several home automation companies with smart thermostats, automated light control, and smart locks. Nest reviews, Vivint reviews, and other home automation company reviews have been positive so far. They have opened the door to the possibility of a voice-controlled home automation system for your home. The future is coming to your home soon.

David Glenn is a home improvement expert who draws on 30 years of experience. Contact him on Twitter @davidglenn97.