How Siemens are Building the Home of the Future

In film and culture, we’ve all seen extravagant depictions of the home of the future. Washing, cooking, and housework is a thing of centuries gone by, appliances are automated and leisure is king. From Marty McFly to Phillip J. Fry, the future is a perpetual fascination for many.

Needless to say then, when Siemens announced that they were building ‘The Home of the Future’ we were intrigued. But how exactly will the German manufacturing giant achieve this?

Their range of Connected Appliances are certainly a positive step. The Home Connect App provides a platform to control your home from any location. For instance, it can choose the best washing programme on its own, and even show you the inside of your fridge, so you can check what you need to stock up on without needing to physically double-check.

At a quick glance, these capabilities might seem like simple gimmicks, after all, the technology to remotely control a separate device via an app has been around for a while. But with the ability to connect so many appliances to a single app. this genuinely appears to be a step forward. You can connect your dishwasher, oven, fridge, washing machine, tumble dryer, and even your coffee machine to perform certain duties automatically, saving a huge chunk of time.

Perhaps the most innovative aspect of Home Connect is the ability to integrate with Amazon, which takes the automation to a new level. The Amazon Dash Replenishment feature enables automatic reordering of dishwasher detergent tablets via your Amazon account when you’re running low, and with Amazon’s Alexa all of the Siemens appliances can be controlled by voice. You can pre-heat your oven, start your washing machine, or check the status of your dishwasher’s cycle simply by asking, therefore requiring even less effort than using the app.

Is this really ‘The Home of the Future?’ In 20 years time, this technology could be in all of our households, but there’s also the distinct possibility that tradition will dictate us to continue exactly as before. Only time will tell. But it’s certainly a bold attempt at innovation, and an admirable nudge by Siemens into the next generation of how we run our homes.

Home Connect, by SIEMENS