Back in 2005, Popular Mechanics magazine showed off the home of the future, which took advantage of the latest technologies to automate almost everything. "There's just about nothing in the home that can't effectively be controlled automatically," the family living in the house enthused.
It's all very impressive – but then, it was even more impressive when Popular Mechanics covered exactly the same subject in 1939. We've been hearing about automated homes for 70 years but, despite the wonders of our wired world, most people's homes are thoroughly low-tech.
WILD PREDICTIONS: The fully automated, high-tech home of the future is just around the corner, said Popular Mechanics – in 1939
So what's the problem with the automated home? Is it us, or is it the technology?
The automated house of 1939 was surprisingly similar in vision to the automated house of 2009. "Electric ranges already are equipped with automatic controls for temperature and cooking time, but there is no practical reason why these operations together with the other applications cannot be controlled remotely from any room in the house,"
George H. Bucher predicted. "The future home will probably be equipped with a number of control centres, from any one of which the homemaker can give her commands.
"While many of George's predictions in 'The Electric Home of the Future' (Popular Mechanics, August 1939) came true – including TV and radio "[moving] the amusement centres of Broadway and Hollywood right into our living rooms" and homes with "some electrical means of recording news reports and pictures as soon as the news happens" – you're still more likely to see automated homes on MTV's Cribs than in Cricklewood.
To be fair to Bucher, forecasting the far-off future is never easy. But what about more recent predictions?
In 1999, the BBC gushed about a high-tech fridge. "Screenfridge, as it is called, allows you to send and receive email, watch television, pay bills and handle personal banking…
'Imagine this,' says Adrian King, President of ICL's Retail System Division. 'You're in the kitchen and notice that you are running low on eggs. You swipe the carton past the barcode scanner, which makes a note on its personal shopping list. You do this for all the items that you need. When you're ready, you send the list to a nominated supermarket who can then make up and deliver the order to your home.'"
The article also quoted NCR's Stephen Emmott, who said: "The next stage in computing is one that is moving computing devices beyond the desktop into everyday appliances including washing machines, fridges, telephones and clothes. We'll see intelligence embedded into everything we come into contact with."
So, it's time to put your hands up: who owns a Screenfridge, a net-connected microwave or Wi-Fi pants? Nobody? That's what we thought.
Your comments (4) Click to add a new comment
tdm
October 28th 2009
4. I have to take issue at the slating of automated hoovers. I have a Roomba 560 and it's flippin' fantastic. It's as good as my dyson, has to contend with picking up all sorts of stuff my rabbit leaves lying around including tons of hair and does all this while I'm out.
The only things that can be critizised are:
1. It can't do stairs (but then this takes 5 minutes - and it does the rest of the house every day)
2. It can't move furniture (so what? your house is 10 times cleaner and you have to clean yourself much less often)
One of the best things I've ever bought!
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ottomate
October 26th 2009
3. The whole "Jetsons" flying cars thing is pie in the sky. But look around at what we have. There are plenty of home automation systems available and not just for the millionaires.
Wireless technologies like Z-Wave and Zigbee are making inroads now and green issues are driving the uptake of the technology as people want to reduce their energy consumption using home automation.
The Automated Home is very much a reality - if you want it, and for perhaps the first time, it has a real purpose, other than the couch potato life style.
Thanks for the article and bringing the subject up in the first place.
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kasino72
October 25th 2009
2. Hi Techguru. I agree hardwired is best, but there's cost/mess involved so I think it's going to remain a niche thing for a while. Whereas I can see the combination of DLNA - eg in Windows 7 - and PLN being something people will get into, and then want more of.
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techguru
October 25th 2009
1. wireless and pln products are fine for a get out of jail solution for the pc world generation but for people who need a robust solution in the home you need low voltage structured cabling. Once this is implemented in a new build or a refurbishment its as easy as plugging a device into a wall socket and there is nothing over technical for the end user to overcome about that, and you don't have to worry about routers going wrong or pln devices failing - its a false economy!
Home automation is here and has been for years, it comes in all shapes and price ranges. Custom install companies work all hours to meet customer expectations ranging from basic structured wiring up to full automation, with products from big hitters like crestron becoming more affordable home automation is a reality to install in everyday housing. Windows 7 mce and ip ready screens make media streaming more convenient with off the shelf products but you still need a hard wired solution for all these products to connect to properly.
PLN and wireless solutions aren't built to last and when they go wrong do really want to deal the clueless member of staff in the local pc retailer to help you get your home functioning again?
Look up your nearest custom installer for a realistic solution - The future is now!
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