The home represents a safe space for people to unwind and escape from the real world. Most of us are used to having hectic schedules and live our lives always on the go. However, COVID-19 has led us to spend much more time indoors. Our home space now works to accommodate many other spaces in our routines, such as the office, classroom, and gym.
As we spend more time at home, it’s important we feel safe and comfortable while going about our day. The developing industry of smart home technology works to provide us this feeling. New smart home inventions pave the way for a more convenient and protected living environment. Although many advancements have already hit the market, lots of work goes on behind the scenes to develop new inventions. Please continue reading for more information on how the pandemic has impacted smart home technology’s need and how it continues to do so.
How Our Needs Have Changed
At the beginning of quarantine, you may have felt excited when you learned that you’d work from home. However, operating from home may be easier said than done. Common areas are designed with a more open and spacious layout. The reason for this is to give families a place to interact with each other throughout the day. On the other hand, the common areas’ layout is not very “work from home” friendly for more than a few people. Many people now prefer having smaller closed-off rooms that allow for an easier time focusing on work and school.
When our social interactions are limited, we tend to want more human interaction than before. Some people have also found that they prefer to live closer to other family members than farther away. Believe it or not, 20 percent of people who moved during the pandemic did so to reside closer to their families. In scary times like these, we want to stay connected to those who we love most.
Spending more time at home has also prompted homeowners to prioritize convenience more. Contactless technology has increased in popularity, as it’s both efficient and protects individuals from the spread of germs. Automatic light switches are a perfect example of a contactless technology implemented in more homes recently. The automatic feature also can save you money with your electric bill.
Current Smart Home Technology
Smart home technology can be found in homes today in the form of doorbell monitor cameras. Doorbell cameras help us see who is at our door without putting ourselves at risk. They are also useful when it comes to our online quarantine shopping. As packages are delivered, people want to avoid contact with the people delivering the package. Cameras allow us to monitor when it’s safe to pick up our orders in a contactless manner.
Likewise, people also favor technology that limits the need for touching different switches and buttons. Voice activation has become much more widespread in the last few months. Many different inventions have come out that allow us to control our appliances and electronics by our voice’s sound. This may benefit you and your home if you have a bigger family or lots of roommates.
New Inventions On The Rise
You may recall when every store in town was out of hand sanitizer, toilet paper, and disinfectants. Innovators took inspiration from this chaotic situation and worked on creating a platform to compare your home pantry with the consumer demand for products. The end goal of the invention is to predict when you will need to buy more items, and if the stores around, you will have it in stock.
As for security, newly developed smart locks have been on the rise. The smart lock is useful for protecting your home from intruders or if you need to let someone in while you aren’t home. For instance, you may use this technology if you are expecting an important package to be delivered. All you would need to do is set up the temporary code and share it with the individual delivering the package to place it inside.
As humans, we also often get bored by staying at home for too long. The pandemic has encouraged more families to implement different kinds of recreational rooms in their homes. Some examples of recreational rooms include theater rooms and gaming rooms. Even after the pandemic has passed, we can expect to see new technology advancements when it comes to recreational rooms and online classrooms.
Most of us aren’t used to spending the majority of our time at home. As people continue to adapt, they often find ways to upgrade their homes by incorporating new advancements. Implementing smart technology can now even change the way you enjoy your home post-pandemic. Check out the following infographic from Hippo for more information on the growth of smart home technology alongside COVID-19:
