The "House of the Future", a pod-shaped Disneyland attraction once made popular in the 1950s, consisted of products from the future: handsfree phones, wall-sized TVs, and electric razors and toothbrushes. Now that these types of products exist today, the attraction isn't considered, well, futuristic anymore. But a new 5,000-square-foot home will be reopening this May in Tomorrowland with plenty of emerging technologies to ogle, including innovative hardware, software, and touch-screen systems for the home.
For instance, "lights and thermostats will automatically adjust when people walk into a room. Closets will help pick out the right dress for a party. Countertops will be able to identify groceries set on them and make menu suggestions."
Disney reeled in the help of Microsoft, Hewlett-Packard, software maker LifeWare, and home builder Taylor Morrison to create the $15 million futuristic home made of wood and steel. Actors will be playing a family of four preparing for a trip to China, and visitors can see them interact in this kind of digital lifestyle.
The main attraction will be a network that makes the house "smart," where the family can transfer photos, videos, and music between TVs and computers in different rooms with the click of a button. Touch screens will be integrated in appliances, furniture, and countertops, said Joe Belfiore, Microsoft's vice president for entertainment services.
Why didn't designers build a Jetsons-like home? "If people walk through there and say, 'I don't have anything in this house at all,' then we've totally failed," explained Mike Seamons, vice president of marketing at LifeWare. "We're not waiting for robots to happen in order for it to be a reality." Good thing, because I think robots simplifying our everyday lives is still far off.
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