Joseph Moriarity
Engl. 302 B07
9/26/05
G00152116

Computerized Home of the Future

In the future, computers will be able to perform and monitor basic household tasks. I know that there are smart houses around already. They have electronic keys, the ability to monitor the inhabitants of the house and know how they like everything in their environment from temperature to music. They cost millions of dollars and are only for the extremely wealthy. If the technology is less expensive it will become more widely used and then when it is widely used, it will become even less expensive. If it were possible to simply upgrade parts of the house at a time, then more people would look into it. A central computer would be necessary and all of the appliances would need to be computerized as well.

For instance, if you are cooking something, your computer can make sure that the food does not turn out undercooked, overcooked or burnt. In order for a computer to run a stove and oven, new stoves would have to be able to communicate with the computer. Different kinds of food require different heats and different cooking times. Either the stove/computer combination would have to be able to figure out what you are cooking and how you would like it to turn out, or the user would have to input that information.

Another option would be a computerized refrigerator. I know that they have refrigerators with LCD televisions built into them, but it would be nice to have a refrigerator that would be able to tell you if that leftover Chinese food is still good or if the gallon of milk you bought last week is past its prime. A computerized refrigerator would also be able to monitor the temperature of the food items inside it and adjust the temperature if a colder temperature is needed to keep leftovers fresh or if a slightly higher temperature is needed to keep the milk from freezing.

The computerized home would be able to monitor the carpet and know when it needs to be vacuumed. There is a small computerized vacuum available today called a Roomba. It is low profile, circular in shape and about a foot in diameter. It goes around the carpet and vacuum it for you, making sure not to run into walls or other objects. If it does run into something, it reverses and goes in another direction. In a computerized home, the main computer would be able to decide if there is too much dust or dirt on the floor with strategically placed sensors in the carpet. If a sensor indicates that the floor needs to be vacuumed, the computerized vacuum will leave its storage place hidden in a wall and go and clean the floor wherever sensors indicate that the floor needs to be vacuumed. The storage place for the vacuum will charge it when it is not in use and make sure that it is emptied so that it will be able to accomplish its cleaning job effectively.

A home that is computerized would make it possible to monitor a home security system while away from the home. If you forget to arm the system, you can log into your house from a remote site and be able to arm it and check the system status for intruders or other alerts. Today with ADT or other security monitoring technology, if an alarm is triggered, the system contacts the appropriate emergency response agency. For instance, it will contact the fire department if a fire alarm is triggered and the police department if a security alarm is triggered. A computerized home would do these things, but take it one step further by contacting the homeowner to let him or her know what is happening back at home. This can be accomplished either by calling the homeowners work or cell phone and simply saying: “your home has been broken into and the police have been called,” or whatever phrase is appropriate to the situation. It will also report the severity of the situation, such as whether a fire has been put out or contained or if an intruder is still in the house. This would also prevent things like the scenes in movies where the homeowner comes home and someone is waiting in their house to hurt or kill them.

The house of the future would be able to recognize when laundry begins to pile up and do a load of laundry when necessary. It would be able to sort laundry into light and dark piles and select the correct temperature setting, amount of detergent, and fabric softener for every load of laundry. It would be able to wash and dry the clothes in the same machine, eliminating the need to move them from one machine to another.

A computerized house would be able to adjust the temperature room by room instead of having one central thermostat to regulate the temperature. If one room were colder than the homeowner would like it to be, the computer would be able to bring up the temperature of that room, and if it is too warm, it can make it cooler without affecting the other rooms that are at the correct temperature.

A computerized home would have many advantages for many people. Everyone would be able to use the technological advancements in a home run by computer. If the technology becomes mainstream, a disabled person’s insurance may pay for them to upgrade to the technology to make them more self-sufficient. Everyone who uses this technology in their homes will have more leisure time because the computer will perform most of their time consuming household tasks. The people who have computers to perform these tasks would not have to hire housekeepers to do them, and may end up saving money in the long run if the technology becomes affordable enough.