From mirrors to trash cans, practically any everyday home item can become a smart device. At January’s 2020 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, the technology industry’s largest annual showcase, companies touted thousands of products intended to make homes more connected. Improvements in voice control — the ability to operate devices by speaking a command — was a big theme. The market for digital voice assistants, such as Amazon’s Alexa and Google Home, will include 8 billion products by 2023, predicts Juniper Research. Here are a range of products that were debuted from 4,500 exhibitors at CES to give you an idea of the gadgetry coming to smart homes.
A lamp with a private eye
Internet-connected security cameras are a popular part of the smart-home market, and many companies are seeking to making these devices more discreet. The Panasonic Home Hawk Floor appears like a slim, standard lamp that blends into the home’s decor, but it’s packed with high-tech security features, boasting a 1080p connected camera with color night vision and motion-activated video recording. The lamp’s base has a battery pack so the camera can still operate in a power outage. You can use either Google Assistant or Amazon Alexa to control camera images and the light itself with spoken commands. This was a CES 2020 Innovation Award honoree.
Make Doing Laundry a Lighter Load
LG’s ThinQ front-load, AI-powered washing machine can identify the volume, weight, and fabric of a laundry load and program the correct washing cycle. The machine also will automatically apply the correct detergent and softener and can pair with Amazon Alexa through the LG ThinQ mobile app to provide notifications when the laundry detergent is running low. The ThinQ won a CES 2020 Innovation Award. Price: TBA
Automatic Trash Collection
Smart trash cans, a new introduction to the marketplace, make hauling garbage a simpler chore. The Knectek Townew senses when the trash can is full and automatically seals up the trash and opens up the lid to let you know it’s time to take out the garbage. When you remove the trash bag, the device automatically replaces a new liner and closes the lid. Price: $120
Keep a Tight Lock on Cabinets
Here’s a handy tool for home sellers who want to keep items secure during showings: the Yale Smart Cabinet Lock attaches to any existing cabinet, drawer, or storage system. It can be screwed on or attached via an adhesive sticker. Sync it to a Wi-Fi bridge to remotely lock or unlock the cabinet. You can also see who opened the cabinet last and when. Price: $79 or $129 with a Wi-Fi bridge
A Security Camera That Knows Common Visitors
This compact pan-and-tilt 180-degree security camera includes direction detection that can automatically track moving objects for added home security. A CES 2020 Innovation Award honoree, Swann’s Wi-Fi Security Tracker Camera zooms in automatically to get a closeup look at any suspicious activity around a property. The device will notify you when it spots a person at the door and can learn to recognize those who live at the home or visit frequently. Video feeds can be stored locally on a compatible Swann DVR or backed up to a secure cloud server. Price: $79
Don’t Get Up to Let Pets Out
The Wayzn Smart Sliding Glass Door Opener, a product targeted at pet owners, can be controlled by a mobile app, smart speakers, and integrations with smart cameras and sensors. Another CES 2020 Innovation honoree, the device fits on the track of a standard sliding glass door. It can sense when an animal is at the door and send owners a notification so they can open the door remotely and let the pet outside. It’s also compatible with Amazon Alexa and Nest’s speakers and cameras. Price: $399
A Robot Butler at Your Service
Tech companies haven’t given up on the idea of making Rosie the robot from the classic cartoon “The Jetsons” a reality. The latest: Samsung’s Ballie, a rolling robot that was created to resemble the BB-8 droid from the “Star Wars” films. Ballie is a voice assistant with artificial intelligence capabilities and a built-in camera. It can roll around the house and direct other smart devices on tasks that need to be done. Samsung claims that Ballie can even respond to a person’s mood and automatically take action in certain situations. For example, it can call up the smart vacuum to clean up a dog’s mess without any prompts. Price: TBA
— National Association of REALTORS®