The History of the Smart Home, or 5 Challenges for the Future

By 2025, it is estimated that homes will be equipped with more than 80 billion smart devices. With growing demand, smart homes face a number of challenges. These include rising prices, the application of AI technology, environmental sustainability, security, and improving the quality of life for each of us.

It’s 7:48 a.m. The alarm clock automatically calculated the ideal wake-up time based on our schedule in the online calendar and our sleep patterns. A pleasant melody plays from the speaker, and the blinds adjust to let just the right amount of sunlight into the room. The shower is set to the ideal temperature based on our current mood, which has been analyzed by hidden health sensors. 

While breakfast is being prepared, the robotic sous-chef lends a hand, and the radio tunes in to a favorite news channel. The electric car is already heating the seats, and the house is preparing to implement the necessary security measures. Feeds from the cameras and motion sensors are constantly being transmitted to a tablet on the desk. Everything is secure. 

1) Rising prices of smart devices 

The smart technology market is growing at a breakneck pace. In the U.S. and Canada, it’s growing by 31% every year. Europe isn’t far behind, and Asia is already leading the way in production and development. Growing demand and higher expectations from users will force companies to develop new technologies. Will this also lead to price increases? 

Some time ago, the biggest players in the market joined forces to jointly develop the ZigBee wireless communication technology. And this very initiative may bear fruit. The ability to connect products from different manufacturers will make life easier for consumers. Mutual communication and the sharing of the latest technologies will take the smart home another step forward. 

2) AI Technology and Smart Homes

The development of AI technologies is set to be the next milestone—whether it’s a kitchen assistant or a truly intelligent vacuum cleaner. Let’s get ready for the fact that smart devices will soon be able to feel, hear, and see. Everything will be connected to a central sensor that will collect and analyze individual data points. The device will be capable of learning and adapting its functions accordingly. 

3) Environmental Protection 

Energy-efficient lighting, solar power generation, and an electric car in the garage. A smart home goes hand in hand with environmental protection. Individual products are designed to minimize energy consumption and keep annual operating costs to a minimum. 

The goal is to create an ecosystem that operates only when necessary. While you are away from home, both the heating and the outlets turn off. 

4) Safety First

Ensuring security is one of the biggest challenges of a smart home. Up to 70% of all the devices we use can be hacked. This makes the entire system vulnerable. For now, we can rest easy—lights and outlets don’t collect our sensitive data and aren’t of any interest to cybercriminals. But as we move into the future and adopt new devices, the risk may increase. 

It will always be up to us, first and foremost, to decide how we respond to threats. If we do everything we can to ensure security, we’ll reap the rewards. All we need to do is have professional companies handle the installation, secure our Wi-Fi connection adequately, not underestimate the importance of passwords, and keep the entire system up to date. 

5) Improving Quality of Life 

Up to 62% of Americans purchase smart devices for safety reasons. Europeans, on the other hand, are committed to being environmentally friendly and reducing emissions. Smart homes will gradually address these issues and improve the quality of life for all of us.