CSIRO’s Australian Centre for Broadband Innovation (ACBI) report suggests that we should expect great things from smart technology – from helping the elderly stay in their homes for longer to selecting your TV programs to match your friends’ viewing habits.
“The CSIRO report notes that over 3.5 million Australians now a use smart device to access the internet[1] and app downloads are predicted to rise above 40 billion globally in 2013[2].
According to Colin Griffith, Director of CSIRO’s ACBI, “it’s very clear our love affair with apps has come a long way in a few short years. We are now looking at the next era of development by experimenting with what our homes will look like when broadband-enabled apps connect data with multiple sensors and new business services.”
The ACBI Broadband Connected Homes Report explores the ‘next generation of connected home devices’ and provides an optimistic look at the changing times, as well as giving insight into what the future of technology could look like.
Dyers and ovens connected to a global network. Houses that include motion sensors interwoven with other features in the house. Interconnectivity is already with us in home appliances, for example fridges that determine what needs to be on the shopping list .
The report foresees homes as a hub that would connect many different devices in the home to the rest of the world.
The CSIRO and ACBI are offering $50 000 in prize money to reward designers to produce a broadband geared app in a number of categories including smart appliances, security and energy.
[1] ACMA, Smartphones and tablets: Take-up and use in Australia, 2012 [external link].
[2] IDC, 2013 predictions [external link, PDF 394KB].