The house of the technological future: 6 ideas for the smart home from IFA 2022

Have you ever considered the idea of to take out a subscription to have a latest model washing machine? And to change the color of the fridge with a tap on your smartphone?

Well, that time may have come. Yes why one of the themes on which the last edition of IFA focusedthe electronics fair held in Berlin these days, it is definitely the smart home. Never before as this year, walking through the exhibition halls, have we come across such large areas dedicated to new solutions to make our homes increasingly smart and connected.

A development also linked to the launch of Matter, the standard that through IP addresses, communication protocols and networks will allow you to connect sensors, switches and devices to each other regardless of the brand. This was communicated during the fair by tado, Yale and Philips on behalf of the CSA, the consortium that brings together all the companies in this area that have joined forces for this goal.

We are not just talking about devices traditionally linked to home automation, but also more classic appliances, which nevertheless play their part in decreeing an energy saving that is now hoped for for several reasons, both environmental and economic. Among the many solutions presented at the fair, here are some particularly suggestive ones.

Smart, colorful and effective, one of the installations that struck us most is that of LG, starting with the gigantic installation dedicated to a fridge able to give an edge to the rest of the kitchen. It is called MoodUp, and through the now well-known LG ThinQ app – the same one for managing other devices such as the CordZero vacuum cleaner that we had reviewed here – it is possible to change its color; not only that, it can also be turned on to the rhythm of the music, for a total of 97 different color combinations.

In addition to the LEDs integrated into the panels that allow these chameleonic performances, the refrigerator also includes speakers which are useful for listening to your favorite music, since through the app you can also connect your Spotify account but also interact with the main voice assistants.

It comes in two versions, one of which with the InstaView cabinet which allows you to see what’s inside the fridge by knocking on the glass a couple of times and thus avoiding opening the door. They are not yet on the market, but according to reports at the stand, the price of this version would be around 6,000 dollars.

Another original LG idea is the coffee table that also works as an air purifier. It is called PuriCare Aero Furniture, it is made of recycled materials and in practice it is a truncated cone purifier on which a top has been mounted that transforms it into a nice living room table.

An intelligent solution, which also optimizes spaces since air purifiers are usually quite bulky and require a space all to themselves inside the rooms. A base for wireless charging of devices is also integrated in the topand it is possible to choose between different patterns created in collaboration with some artists.

If, on the other hand, you have a passion for collectible sneakers, you can’t miss it ShoeCase, a very elegant rotating case that also protects footwear from UVA rays thanks to the filters integrated in the glass and also takes care of their cleaning with the TrueSteam technology.

Sustainability rhymes with smart home according to Haier, who declined it into a subscription for washing machines. The idea is called WashPass and will be launched in Italy as a pilot country by the end of the year.

Practically you pay an initial activation fee of around € 150 and take home a latest generation washing machine, for which a subscription program is chosen based on the number of washes per week. It starts from around 18 euros for a couple of washes a week to get to around thirty euros for 6/7 washes a week, even if the count should be calculated on an annual basis (so as not to lose the washes in the weeks when for example and go).

Together with the washing machine There will also be cans containing four Nuncas active ingredients that together create a detergent customized for each type of wash, depending on the chosen program and load. The washing machine is also able to keep track of consumption and order the detergent independently when the trays are running out and call for assistance in case of malfunctions.

The Cube 90 Series 9 fridge is also particularly equipped which allows you to manage all smart home devices directly from the screen integrated into one of the four doors, but also to browse the internet, watch videos on YouTube and order wines thanks to the collaboration with Vivino and Tannico.

It is also possible to adjust the temperature of the individual internal compartments, get advice on where it is best to store the various foods so that they cool more or less quickly and set timers that, for example, remind us to remove the beer from the freezer before it explodes. The notifications also concern the expiry date of the food and also in this case it is possible to see what is inside without opening the doors thanks to a camera.

With a view to evolving its range of smart, intelligent and connected products, in a sustainable key, Samsung has decided to focus heavily on its SmartThings system, which will be implemented on all products of the South Korean house by 2023 and is enriched with new features.

One of the main ones is the real-time monitoring of consumption, which allows the user to cut unnecessary ones or activate energy saving modes more frequently thanks to the assessments made by the artificial intelligence AI Energy Mode. A feature already present on refrigerators where it allows to achieve a consumption saving of 10% thanks to the intelligent regulation of temperatures based on the door opening schemes, and which will increase its effectiveness by also optimizing the speed of the compressor and the defrost cycles.

Not only that: the system will allow you to carry out coordinated actions aimed at limiting the consumption of connected devices. For example, if you activate the air conditioner it will also lower the curtains to speed up the cooling process and save energy.