North Columbus News

About 70% of home buyers are interested in smart homes, with many willing to pay extra for homes equipped with smart devices, according to surveys. These consumers seek convenience, time savings, safety, and security from smart home technology.

CES 2025, formerly known as the Consumer Electronics Show, recently showcased the latest innovations in smart home products during its annual conference in Las Vegas. Several new products were introduced that may soon become common features in more homes.

One such innovation is robot roommates designed to assist seniors who wish to age in place. "Lemmy" is a companion care robot developed to meet the physical, cognitive, and emotional needs of seniors living independently. It uses AI-powered sensors installed throughout the home to collect real-time information and provide necessary support through voice commands while connecting with home appliances and healthcare devices.

Voice-controlled home appliances are gaining popularity as they simplify smart home technology. At CES 2025, Hamilton Beach unveiled its Smart Coffee Maker which can be operated by voice commands for various functions including turning it on or off and setting brew strength. Simplehuman's Dual-Compartment Rectangular Sensor Can allows hands-free operation through voice commands like "Open can," "stay open," or "close can." Additionally, U by Moen offers voice control for wall-mounted showers.

Refrigerators are also becoming smarter with AI integration. Samsung's 4-Door Refrigerator with AI Home and AI Vision Inside 2.0 can track food items automatically and alert users when items are about to expire or need replenishing. It can also suggest recipes based on available ingredients.

Lawn care robots were another highlight at CES 2025. Yarbo presented a robot capable of maintaining yards year-round by mowing lawns, blowing leaves, and plowing snow from driveways or sidewalks. The Segway Navimow X3 features a built-in trimmer for lawn edges while Lymow One is designed for steep hills using caterpillar tracks instead of wheels.

Television screens continue to evolve with larger sizes and improved image quality being showcased at CES each year. This year's event featured transparent and hologram-like screens along with models exceeding 100 inches in size boasting 8k picture quality. LG introduced wireless OLED models like its 77-inch 4K OLED Zero Connect Wallpaper TV that eliminates visible wires using LG’s Zero Connect Box technology.

Samsung's latest iteration of The Frame transforms TVs into artwork when not streaming content; this model offers brighter colors along with enhanced wireless capabilities for installation ease.

Robot vacuums have evolved beyond cleaning floors; Roborock now includes mechanical arms capable of picking up objects such as toys or socks while SwitchBot K20+ Pro combines vacuuming duties alongside serving food via built-in trays doubling up as air purifiers too!

Pet care has gained attention within real estate circles due partly due survey findings showing twenty percent respondents willing increase their offer price if property possesses pet-friendly attributes! At CES Pawport demonstrated high-tech security doors retrofitting existing ones only opening upon detecting pets wearing Bluetooth devices nearby whilst Furbo cameras allow owners interact remotely via apps offering features like bark notifications treat tossing capabilities among others

Energy monitoring systems aim help households manage rising utility costs better EcoFlow launched Oasis providing AI-driven insights analyzing past consumption patterns suggesting ways reduce bills based weather forecasts affecting usage levels potentially impacting future expenses

Smart lighting options continue expanding range color choices available transforming ambience instantly Lifx debuted ceiling light featuring multiple zones whereas GE revealed Cync Reveal under-cabinet counter solutions enabling customizable hues suit preferences

Melissa Dittmann Tracey