Fifty years ago scientists envisioned a fully-automated home
where a home owner’s every need and desire could be attended to with the push of
a button. Of course, they also thought we’d be traveling by jetpack. Obviously,
daily jetpack travel is still in the future, although Martin Aircraft did debut
a personal jetpack [http://www.gizmag.com/first-commercially-available-jetpack/14423/]
for public sale last year; but we’re much closer than you think to living in futuristic
push-button homes. Using smartphone apps, Destin homeowners can already control
a number of home systems and appliances (see our previous post). Within 5 to 10
years, scientists expect new developments in digital communication and
electronic integration to completely change a Gulf Coast home owner’s [http://www.gulfcoastrealestatesales.com/idx/
] relationship with his Destin home.
Here are some of the things Destin Realtors [http://www.destinrealestatesales.com/destin.php
] say home buyers can expect to find in the Destin house of tomorrow:
- Windows that respond to
sunlight, dimming and clearing automatically. The technology was recently
introduced for use in airplane windows and luxury car sunroofs.
- Full-wall video screens
will provide the ultimate in entertainment. Using current electronic
billboard technology, researchers are working to develop stackable OLED
screens that could be used independently to view multiple entertainment or
sports channels or en masse to provide the ultimate viewing experience. Or
tune in the Destin beach cam and watch the ocean.
- The toilet of the future
is already here. In April Kohler introduced the $6,390 Numi which features
intelligent automatic flushing to minimize water usage, customizable seat
warming, a bidet and dryer, a warm-air vent to keep your feet warm, an FM
radio and MP3 docking station and ambient lighting.
- Say good-bye to kitchen
ranges and cooktops. Multi-purpose countertops will use embedded sensors
and transmitters to heat or cool food and power cordless appliances.
Fulton Innovation is demonstrating a new countertop that heats food in
specially designed pans without heating the countertop.
