Smart Homes of the Future Aren't Just for the Rich & Famous Anymore

Futuristic homes are no longer in the realm of only the rich and famous. Celebrities and the wealthy have been outfitting their homes with the latest tech for years now, but smart technology has become more accessible than ever, even to the average consumer. While smart technology like Alexa and Google Home can help automate your home like never before, luxury smart brands do even more. Lutron is a smart-home manufacturer that creates light dimmers and shades that can control up to 10,000 devices on a single network. Plenty of us have dreamed of living in a home similar to the Jetsons, where a simple verbal command can wash dishes or turn the TV to your favorite program.

We Can Dream

Most affluent households are more likely to become early adopters of new technology compared to the average consumer. Pricier smart home systems can be scaled exponentially and personalized to someone's tastes. Some examples of smart home personalization include actress Sofia Vergara having an in-home theater that allows her to Skype with her family on the big screen, Oprah Winfrey's ski home that costs more than $14 million due to a radiant heating system to keep the driveway utterly free of snow without having to shovel, not to mention Bill Gates giving guests their own devices that allow them to connect to his smart home technology to control temperature, lighting, and music throughout the house. Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg even has an AI-powered home controlled through an app voiced by Morgan Freeman.

Affordable Smart Appliances are On the Rise

While the average consumer will likely never have highly customized smart home systems like the celebrities, affordable smart homes are on the rise. Smart appliances like refrigerators and washing machines help automate everyday chores. There is even a residential elevators range that can be customized to a consumer taste to provide easy access to the upper floors of the home. These home elevators come in a wide variety of styles and can be customized to suit the tastes of the homeowner.

Homeowners wanting to upgrade to smart appliances should keep a few things in mind. Your home Wi-Fi network is integral to keeping all of the devices connected, so dead zones must be addressed. Traditional routers often leave dead zones, which is why many smart home specialists recommend a mesh Wi-Fi system for full-home coverage. Mesh routers allow devices to transfer seamlessly as you move through the house, which means homeowners never have to deal with a dead zone.

Look to the Future

Smart technology is changing the way we think and use our homes, but it's not cheap. Smart digital assistances like Amazon Alexa and Google Home can be fun like the commercials, but still none of these systems are as integrated as those custom-built for celebrities. In a few years, we may see custom-built smart home systems become more affordable for the general consumer as artificial intelligence becomes more prevalent in our society. In just a few years, the general population may be using our voices to activate our household jobs rather than having to do them ourselves.

This article does not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editors or management of EconoTimes