Last week, we took a trip into the future.
What was it like?
As you might expect, we noticed quite a few things that were different. Our homes were missing a few bits and pieces here and there that, for better or for worse, had lost their place in the world. If you missed it, be sure to take a look at last week’s blog entry Tomorrow’s World: 5 Household Objects That May Soon Disappear. It makes for sobering reading and may even bring with it a tinge of sadness.
But let us not be gloomy and grief-stricken. Tomorrow is another day and one bound with opportunity. There may be things that will change. That’s life. However, what is to come may not necessarily be a bad thing. Indeed, with regards to your home, you might find that what the future has to offer will change your life much for the better.
What will exist in our homes in tomorrow’s world?
We touched on this, briefly, last week, but we thought we’d take another glance ahead and, this time, have some good proper fun with it. That’s right, ladies and gentlemen. You heard us right. We’re going… back to the future.
Robots and flying cars are all very cool, but what else could we be talking about here. What household objects could exist somewhere down the road and what would they do?
Slap on your VR helmet and strap yourself firmly to your seat, good reader. It’s going to be one hell of a ride.
Roads? Where we’re going we don’t need roads.
Let’s go!
Mirror, Mirror: Don’t worry, the humble mirror will still be here with us in years to come. In fact, it may have more of a role in life than it does now. As we all (or most of us) can’t resist the temptation to check out our reflection at least once during the day, the bathroom mirror could be a perfect tool to give your mug a bit of a scan and see how your health is doing. Breathing rate, body shape…Heck, it could even assess your skin and advise on a skin care routine! Scared yet?
Carebot: We weren’t going to go into the robot territory, but this one is already in the works and not too far away. With an aging population we are constantly looking for ways to help older people continue live safely and independently. Robots specifically designed to assist the more senior members of society are in the works in Japan right now. They can’t surely replace people, but a useful tool when needed?
Smart Fridge: Internet enabled fridges are actually available now and, as time goes by, it is quite likely that they are only going to get smarter. Being able to scan food, know what is usually there and sense when something is out of date/going off is surely an idea being worked on. A fridge could send you an alarm to let you know when a food is running low or turning bad. In fact, it could do an awful lot more than that.
Emotion Vision: Much like the mirror idea, the television could be used to look at us as we look at it. It could judge how we’re feeling and make suggestions on films/programmes/music that we might be in the mood for. Assessing and tracking how we respond to various content, the TV might be able to cheer us up merely at a glance.
Clever Clothing: Living in Edinburgh, we all know that the weather can be, well, unpredictable. Good job that our clothes are going to become super smart then and respond to the ever changing nature of the Scottish climate. They can keep you warm or cool by adjusting how much heat it will let out. Sense your water loss. Even add extra UV protection if the sun gets too strong…Now that’s wild.
The future is a scary place. Not because it’s bad, but because it is the unknown. What we’ll find when we get there, nobody really knows, but we think that these gadgets we’ve mentioned could be a very real possibility.
Do you agree? Do you like the idea of a mirror that can scan your health? Or do you think that this is all going too far?
Be sure to let us know.