Compared to service providers of telecommunication, utility, security monitoring and MSOs, the home appliance makers are no less powerful in pushing the smart home market forward with their savvy solutions. The makers add value to home appliances by putting smarts into them to enhance home safety and convenience.
Compared to service providers of telecommunication, utility, security monitoring and MSOs, the home appliance makers are no less powerful in pushing the smart home market forward with their savvy solutions. The makers add value to home appliances by putting smarts into them to enhance home safety and convenience. Introduced in 2015, Apple TV can also act as a new type of home gateway for controlling HomeKit-compatible connected home devices. Smart home appliances can bring users peace of mind. For example, users will be notified if the oven is not turned off when they are away.
Connected kitchen
Kitchen is the main battlefield and a starting place for home appliance makers’ entry into the smart home. Samsung, LG, Bosch, Whirlpool and Panasonic all launched innovative smart kitchen solutions at CES this year.
Among the appliances, smart refrigerator having built-in network cameras inside and LCD display outside for real-time update of the items in stock is a major highlight. The Samsung Family Hub Refrigerator features a 21.5-inch LCD for home users to communicate with family members. They can leave sticky notes, share calendar or post photos for example. With three cameras inside, the refrigerator will take a photo of the shelf every time the door closes. The home user will always stay in the know just by opening the app or glancing at the LCD display. The users can even enjoy favorite television programs on the Family Hub screen using Screen Mirroring with the Samsung Smart TV while preparing food in the kitchen.
Bosch showcased connected refrigerator, dryer, washing machine and coffee maker at CES 2016. The Bosch’s smart fridge is equipped with two HD cameras inside. Users can zoom in to see what’s at the back corner. The smart washing machine will provide suggestions for washing cycles and the appropriate program-based the materials and cleanliness of the clothes.
Whirlpool introduced Smart Kitchen Suite that includes Smart French Door Refrigerator, Smart Dishwasher and Smart Front Control Range. The suite works with Nest and supports remote control of home appliances and alert notifications. Consumers will receive alerts when preheat and cook times are complete. With the Nest Thermostat connected to its smart oven, the consumers would receive an alert through the Whirlpool mobile app if their oven is on when no one is home.
TV as the home center
With smart TVs pairing with security systems like sensors, cameras and smart locks, users can see their visitors at the front door on their smart TVs when the doorbell is pressed, or receive alerts when the alarm is triggered. Also, the smart TVs can work with home security systems, sensors, lights and entertainment devices like wireless speakers via Wi-Fi, BLE and ZigBee.
LG Smart TV with webOS 3.0 is designed as a central hub for controlling home appliances such as refrigerators, air conditioners or washing machines that are connected to the Internet. Through the IoTV app, homeowners will be able to adjust the brightness of the lights in the room or change the temperature setting of the air conditioner with just a touch of the button. The TV can display the status of various smart appliances at home.
For greater ease of use and more intuitive control, Hisense has introduced voice control technology into their platform compatible devices.
Connecting to the cloud
There are emerging business models for smart home appliances. When the devices are connected to the cloud, the service providers would know the filter status of the air conditioners and notify the users so they can decide if they want to order new filters. The grocers could send notifications or advertisements to home users when they are running out of foods.
Whirlpool’s smart appliances support Amazon Dash Replenishment. The Whirlpool mobile app is synced with user’s Amazon account. When supplies like dish detergent and afresh washer cleaner are running low, users can re-order through Amazon Dash Replenishment. With the Whirlpool Smart French Door Refrigerator, home users can use smart notifications on their app to be alerted of a power or Wi-Fi outage, and receive reminders to change the air and water filters. Chinese home appliance companies export approximately half of their products to the United States, Europe and Japan, seeking business growth from the overseas market. They partner with cloud platform providers to achieve the sales growth. For example, Changhong uses the IoT cloud platform from Ayla Networks to solve the challenges they encounter when exporting products overseas, such as adaptability to local market laws and regulations, docking with the local cloud, insight into the local user experience and habits, better understanding of the capabilities, and costs of operating cloud services. Panasonic defines the smart home as one that has lighting, heating, cameras, motion sensors, and smart appliances all tied into one. The company launched a new smart home platform ÔRA on which the connected devices can talk to one another regardless of operating systems.