by Christine Thompson, TELUS – Broadband Networks –
Judy and George Jetson helped give us a fantastical glimpse of the smart home of the future. Now, thanks to the “Internet of Things” (IoT) and the speed and reliability of fibre optics, technology is bringing these futuristic notions to life in our homes today.
Smile! You’re on facial recognition technology. Imagine easily keeping strangers out of your home and not having to worry about your keys. A simple facial scan at the front entry could soon be how your home chooses who to let in and who to keep out.
A kitchen that helps you eat healthier. Watching your calories? Call upon your kitchen counter to count calories of your food items, detail nutritional content and display recipes from your smart cooktop.
Save the planet one degree at a time. Even lighting and thermostats are getting smart: they can learn your schedule and be controlled from your smart device. You’ll never spend an entire vacation worrying if you left the heat turned up or the hallway lights on – you’ll be conserving energy and living in the future instead.
Home can be the office, or the doctor’s office. Today’s lightning-fast and reliable connectivity enables high-definition video-conferencing from home. Give a product demonstration to a client, get a doctor’s or other professional’s advice or hold a family reunion – all by videoconference.
Be art smart. With digital wall displays, your latest mood can be instantly reflected on your wall. Pick an image or video from your smartphone and within seconds, your favourite Monet or crackling fireplace is your pièce de résistance.
Ultra HD and everything on-demand. As if the definition we have for television viewing isn’t image-crisp enough, now there’s 4K Ultra HD. No longer just for the movie theatre, it’s anticipated that by 2025, half of Canadians will have a 4K capable TV in their living rooms. Add the convenience of on-demand programming and live streaming with lightning-fast internet speeds, and you’ll be watching the shows you want, when you want and where you want. Need to escape home for a bit? Virtual Reality (VR) headsets can take you to other worlds.
Soon, all of these smart home innovations could be commonplace and inter-connected through a central ‘home hub’ you control. As companies forge forward into this new era of home tech, the benefits extend to greener, healthier living, increased productivity and an enhanced “digital lifestyle”. You stay as connected, informed and efficient as you’d like, freeing up more time for other things. So much so, we bet even the Jetsons would be impressed.
For more information about how a future home can look, visit www.telus.com/FutureHome or www.telus.com/purefibre.
