Houses That Think

Are you tired of the color or pattern of your walls? In a smart home, you won’t have to repaint them. The walls will actually be digital screens, like computer or TV screens. The technology is called OLED,3 and it’s here already. OLEDs are tiny devices that use electricity to light things. You can find the same technology in today’s thin TV screens. OLED walls will become clear, like windows, or display colors and patterns, like walls. A computer network will link these walls with everything else in your house. Called “ambient4 intelligence,” this computer “brain” will control your entire house. It will also adapt to your preferences. Your house will learn about your likes and dislikes. It will then use that knowledge to control the environment. For example, it will set the heat in the house to your favorite temperature. It will turn on the shower at the right temperature. It will also darken the windows at night and lighten them when it’s time to wake up. But how about your cooked breakfast, and the umbrella and hat you found by the door? For those, you can thank your robot helper. Futurologists predict that many homes will have robots in the future. Robots already do many things such as building cars and vacuuming floors.