Integrated technologies can create a home that interacts and communicates with its inhabitants in a variety of ways. The house could assist in the care of vulnerable individuals; floor pressure sensors could analyze gait to detect if residents are falling or appear to be limping and could alert family, friends, or support services.

In a minor adaptation, a table with built-in electronics could detect the temperature of the beverage placed on it and heat or cool only that part of the surface to maintain the beverage's temperature.

New technologies are causing the house to fall apart.

There are many interesting companies in this field, which demonstrate where the concept stands at this point. Although these projected technologies are still in a complementary phase, they clearly point the way toward ubiquitous technology.

Laiier focuses on leak detection. Early leak detection would make a huge economic difference to people's lives. Laiier uses low-cost capacitive sensors based on conductive carbon. Capacitive sensors are particularly sensitive to the proximity of aqueous materials: this is why most smartphone screens cannot be used in the rain, and why this technology is well-suited for leak detection, although there are many other potential applications.

Although this technology is not currently integrated into the structure of homes, the nature of the sensors—thin-film and large-surface—allows them to be placed under appliances such as dishwashers, washing machines, and boilers. Furthermore, the sensors can be manufactured in a strip format, enabling low-cost installation without requiring specialized knowledge: another saving for residents! 

Invisense also produces a thin-film moisture sensor. It measures moisture using a printed antenna that is remotely detected by an RFID reader. The usual measurement method involves removing tiles to see if water seeps through them; this new method avoids that damage. The main application is therefore placing the sensor behind waterproof building materials to check the effectiveness of the waterproofing in showers.

Sensors like this one, built into homes from the start, could detect leaks before they're visible and, in a smart home, could even shut off the water and call a plumber. This would prevent large-scale damage and save the homeowner money.

Residents of the smart home

Given that energy costs are a hot topic right now, The Warming Surfaces Company has partnered with the Portuguese high-pressure laminate company Soforma to develop prototypes of a film that, when integrated into laminate, allows surfaces to provide heat. This can be used for underfloor heating, wall heating, and integration into furniture. Furthermore, individual zones can be controlled separately to keep the kitchen cool while cooking and the living room cozy.

Smart carpets

The social distancing requirements associated with the COVID-19 pandemic have motivated the development of smart carpets and doormats by InnovationLab.

Initially, it was a simple binary device that merely detected whether pressure was applied; the signal was then used to control a traffic light indicating to customers whether it was safe to approach the counter. Recently, however, the system has been significantly improved. By training an artificial intelligence algorithm and placing the smart doormat near the store entrance, the system can now anonymously determine (and therefore display) the number of customers in the store at any given time. Furthermore, the system can distinguish between customers and shopping carts/carts to improve accuracy.

This technology could one day be used in applications such as nursing homes and assisted living facilities to alert medical staff to the evolution of patients and to possible injuries and dangers.

Brilliant ideas

Searching for the light switch could become a thing of the past. Lighting, of course, is already integrated into most homes, but printed electronics offer a visual touch.

Tactotek points out that, as smart homes become more prevalent, product developers face the challenge of how to incorporate more electronic components into products without sacrificing aesthetics and style. Examples include integrating electronic functionality under wood veneers and within thin layers of plastic. 

The house of the future

All these expanding technologies are shaping the home of the future. Pressure sensors that interact with heating, lighting, and humidity sensors could make a house with integrated lighting a reality—lighting that reacts to the time of day and turns off when someone leaves a room. Ultra-efficient underfloor heating could follow a person around a room, warming surfaces to keep food and drinks hot or cold as needed. A house that detects leaks, falls, and hazards, attending to both the safety and comfort of its inhabitants.