A prominment theme this year at CES was the smart home –
there seemed to be value in connecting to the Internet every object in
the home. Another was wearables, which, in essence, turns the user into a
connected device. A noticeable trend was the slow death of “home automation: as a buzzword. In its place, terms like “smart home” and “connected home” became dominant.
POPULAR PRODUCT CATEGORIES
Home appliance makers Haier, LG, Samsung and Whirlpool showcased their
visions of a smart home. However. more common products at CES were ones
that consumers can easily relate to and understand the benefits, such as
various types of cameras, smart door locks, smart outlets and power
strips, and lighting equipment.
Quite a few manufactures showcased home security
cameras. Basic features include remote monitoring via smartphones,
Wi-Fi connectivity and PIR motion sensors. More advanced models included
features like two-way audio, notifications and cloud-based storage.
Home security cameras are already fairly mature products, so the more
interesting ones were all about creative applications. Amaryllo’s
Skype-certified iCam HD cameras featured an aestheti-cally pleasing
design and AR-like controls. FLIR Systems introduced a multipurpose
camera that uses optional cases to become either an indoor or outdoor
home security camera, wearable camera or dashboard camera. Video door
phones like Skybell and Doorbot upgrade traditional doorbells with
video, audio, smartphone notifications and remote monitoring.
Two notable cameras at CES were crowdfunded smart home cameras Canary
and Blacksumac’s Piper. They both integrate into the smart home
ecosystem and have built-in sensors that enable innovative features.
Canary is a member of the AllSeen Alliance, while Piper uses the Z-Wave
protocol.
Numerous vendors were touting smart plugs or power strips. The most
obvious value in connecting ordinary objects to the Internet is that
they enable off-site control, and power strips are no exception. More
advanced ones also connect to other appliances in the home via
proprietary or open standards, enabling infinite possibilities for
automation.
Lighting equipment was more colorful than anything else. Philis Hue
brought smart light bulbs to the mainstream, and is arguably the market
leader in this product category. Its 16 million colors cater to any user
and any mood, while IFTTT and Zigbee support enable trigger-based
events. Startups like Lifx and ilumi have their own takes on this
product category, however. Lifx uses AllJoyn to eliminate the need for a
dedicated hub that needs to be attached to the router, while ilumi uses
Bluetooth.
It is evident from this year’s CES that thereis true value in connecting
almost every object to the Internet. From spoons to toothbrushes to
scales to flowerpots to refrigerators, connected objects can send data
on usage patterns and user behavior to other devices or cloud-based
services. This data can then be recorded and analyzed to, ideally,
provide insight on how users can improve their lifestyles. For objects
that do not yet have built-in sensors or connectivity, Sen.se’s compact
multipurpose sensors can be attached to any object to fill in the gap.
CLOSE, BUT NOT QUITE
Interoperability was a hot topic for connected devices, arguably because
a smart home cannot really be smart unless devices can talk to each
other. Many device makers are beginning to realize this, touting at CES
the number of third-party devices they work with. However, with a number
of open standards on the market, such as Z-Wave, ZigBee and Bluetooth,
consumers are essentially choosing between different open, but
incompatible, ecosystems.
Another problem is that most of these devices require users to install
an app to control each of them. This is essentially the 21st century’s
take on the remote control basket. Users did not enjoy the remote
control basket; likewise, controlling one’s homes via a dozen individual
apps is an issue that needs resolving.
While an army of Internet-connected devices can enrich a user’s life, it
does not necessarily make a home smart. For the smart home movement to
reach its full potential, devices need to be able to talk to each other.
There is hope, however. Smart hubs, or gateways, like Revolv,
SmartThings and Staples Connect attempt to unify different standards and
devices through a single user interface.
The smart home market seems to be taking off, but there is still a bit
of work to do before it can “really” take off. This year’s CES was
primarily about picking low-hanging fruit, with device makers adding
Internet connectivity and smartphone operation to “dumb” objects in the
home that can clearly benefit from them. The coming year will,
hopefully, see different industries work together to continue to educate
the market and help consumers understand scenarios in which their lives
can be improved by a smarter home. Many people at the show were excited
about recent developments in smart home devices, but admitted that the
market is still in its early stages – there are still countless
scenarios and applications to explore.
没有评论:
发表评论