The topic of the “house of the future” has become rather redundant, hasn’t it? For as long as I can remember, there have been countless versions of the “house of the future” and the ones that I saw as a kid are little different from the ones I see today, except that they’ve become even more dependent on technology than ever.
Now, the video here describes the “house of the future” in South Korea. Given that South Korea is the most wired country (as in, it uses a whole lot of broadband services) on the planet and it is replacing Silicon Valley as the Tech King, it makes somewhat sense that the house would be overwhelmingly tech savvy, and it is!
To be entirely honest with you, my first reaction to the video was one of awe, interest, and “How cool!” A scanner at the doorway that identifies the “user” of the apartment, walls that change its look according to the music you select, a stove that recommends recipes, a fridge that brings you up to date on the expiry of the products in it, a kitchen bench that can automatically adjust to your height and detect what’s been placed on it…yes of course, your first reaction is “Wow!”
On second thoughts, however super cool these gadgets might be, they are fun to play with for a while, but I am not sure I’d like to have them around me all my life, much less allow them to run my house for me.
The scariest part of the house was the children’s room. Where’s that homely mess untidiness that are so essential to growing up? Where’s that comfortably scattered look and all those toys and playthings that should greet you when you walk into a kid’s room? And, most importantly, where have all the colors gone?
If I had a kid, I would never want them to be living in a pod-like cocoon that has no windows and where a basketball net has been replaced by widgets on the wall. There is no indication that a child living in that room would be inclined towards physical activity, sports, or any form of exercise!
I realize that I sound pretty harsh about this house of the future, but to me, the future doesn’t look so harsh and unfriendly. While I am not averse to gadgets and appliances to make life easy, I do feel that there’s something known as going too far. I am more scared by the house of the future than excited!
