IoT, Tech Me Away!

Three smart home innovations changing the way you eat, sleep, and clean

By Patricia Miller

The Smart Home Revolution has begun. Approachable, affordable AI has infiltrated nearly every piece of consumer technology and frankly, it’s a wonderful time to be alive. Whether it’s a sliding glass door that opens by itself, luggage that follows you through the airport, or a self-stirring martini, our daily lives are getting easier by the minute. Here are some of the coolest home-automation technologies entering the market this year that are sure to remind you what a fantastic era you’re living in.

Smart Kitchen Cooking Machine

Waking up at five a.m. to make the biscuits is so last century. Why not let your robotic chef do that for you? With CookingPal by TecPal Ltd., you can do just that. “Julia,” as its creators lovingly dubbed it, handles all the monotony of cooking with just the push of a button. It chops, mixes, steams, kneads, emulsifies, weighs, and even cooks, all in one countertop machine. Using a smartphone app or Julia’s dedicated tablet, users can access more than 500 recipes (and counting) created specifically for CookingPal.

Buy the groceries yourself or use the accompanying tablet or app to have them delivered to your door. Then just place the ingredients in the bowl and let the robo-chef work its magic. Integrated AI even figures out the nutritional value of your meal and offers constructive advice for healthier choices. Instructional videos accompany each recipe and built-in Alexa or Google Voice add an extra element of ease to this already inviting machine.

Tineco Floor One Smart Floor Washer

Okay, how smart could a glorified mop actually be? Thanks to the innovators at Tineco, this wet/dry floor washer has an Ivy League degree. The device analyzes the surface it’s cleaning to determine how much detergent to release, how much pressure to apply to the roller, and even how much suction is needed to leave floors spotless.

Floor One also solves the odor problem typically associated with carpet cleaners. During its charging cycle, the self-clean function flushes all tubes and contact surfaces with fresh water and detergent, ensuring dirty water and bacteria are never reapplied to your disinfected surfaces.

Sleep Number Climate 360 Smart Bed

Beds have been getting the “smart” treatment for years now, but this one takes it a step further. Integrated ducting releases trapped air from the mattress, venting stored body heat to keep sleepers at their ideal temperature. An evaporative cooling system can provide up to 12 degrees of cooling or, conversely, warm up to 100 degrees.

Smart sensors integrated into the mattress measure heart rate, movement, circadian rhythms, and breathing, then track those changes in the accompanying app. The app will then tell the user how to optimize their bed settings for a more restful night’s sleep. For those whose feet run cold, the mattress will gently warm them as you fall asleep while cooling the rest of the body. Since testing it out at CES, I’ve been dreaming about this innovative bed nearly every night. x