i3 - November/December 2016 - 29

Smart Home Marketplace at CES 2017
Like Rose the architect, he believes that customers want a
centralized way to control an array of entertainment, security
and home utility features. Davidson also cites the growing
demand for streaming media entertainment as a motivator
for integrated home systems.
"Our customers like using their phones and tablets as an
interface to control the house," he explains. Proprietary interfaces are being replaced by off-the-shelf products, which enable
controls for alarms, lighting and other products. "The industry
is getting better in terms of user interfaces, but it's a difficult
process," he says and more progress is needed.

PLATFORM OR STAND-ALONE
DEVICES?
The proliferation of video doorbells, remote
locks, smart appliances, intelligent thermostats,
voice-activated speakers and shelves-full of
knowledgeable hardware raises the stakes in
the home automation arena. While the concept
of a refrigerator that can "talk" to a microwave
oven about dinner plans (as exhibited at CES)
is fascinating, the reality is that it's often a
one-way conversation between the homeowner
and the machine.

CREDIT

Top: House Vision2
Toppan Printing's
Woodgrain House,
which looks like a
gigantic block of
Japanese cedar
Bottom: by
Mitsukoshi Isetan

C TA . t e c h / i 3

This January, learn more
about smart home devices that offer consumers
convenience and comfort.
From basic security monitoring to more customized
access to appliances,

lighting, window coverings, irrigation, entertainment systems and more,
the latest in smart home
technology will be at the
Smart Home Marketplace
at CES 2017.

Sensors make it possible for a thermostat to recognize
when a room is full or when everyone has
gone elsewhere. It can then set the heat or
cooling for that room, as well as turn the
lights on/off.
CTA
The bigger challenge is how or if to
estimates that
integrate dozens of such smart features,
U.S.-based
and share responsibilities for managing
shipments
the whole system between humans and
machines. And then it's a question of which
of digital
machine or network will run the system. As
assistants will
Forbes pointed out, "Everyone wants to own
top 2.2 million
the platform."
units.
For example, the Wi-Fi Alliance unveiled
its HaLow platform early this year, tailormade for the Internet of Things. Yet, as many point out no
one company will be able to dominate a unified smart home
market. And that leaves plenty of room for competition.
Amazon's Echo, especially its Alexa intelligent voice
control feature, is the basis for a home control system.
Among its recent adherents is Lowe's, which has integrated
it into its Iris home automation family.
Meanwhile, Apple (at press time) is expected to introduce
Apple Home, a platform that will add voice control (Siri)
for home locks, thermostats, entertainment and other home
automation features and would become a next generation
successor to Apple's HomeKit. Advance word was that
Apple would introduce "more advanced microphone and
speaker technology" than is available on Amazon's Echo, possibly including cameras for facial recognition. And "Google
Home" featuring similar functions has been released.
In its U.S. Consumer Technology Sales and Forecasts, CTA
estimates that U.S.-based shipments of digital assistants will
top 2.2 million units. Worldwide, CTA expects shipments
of 2.8 million units. Strong double-digit growth rates are
expected through 2020 when shipments of digital assistants
are forecast to rise to nearly 15 million units worldwide. As
the diversity of platforms continue to expand, so too will
smart home expectations.
n
NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2016

http://www.ces.tech/show-floor/marketplaces/smart-home http://www.ces.tech/show-floor/marketplaces/smart-home http://www.ces.tech/show-floor/marketplaces/smart-home

i3 - November/December 2016

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of i3 - November/December 2016