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Innovation

Laundry-folding robots and recipe-suggesting fridges among our most desired smart tech

The emergence of various technology has enabled individuals to spend less time on mundane everyday tasks within the workplace as well as their own home.
Written by Eileen Brown, Contributor

In our busy lives convenience and speed have become very desirable commodities.

Fortunately technological developments are keeping pace with our frenetic style of living.

Also: AI assistants with a touch of humanity poised to win over customers

Wi-Fi devices such as smart speakers and thermostat can function and be controlled in conjunction with one another to create a 'connected' working or living environment in your smart home.

UK-based online device recycler Recyclezone has analysed the latest findings from Mindshare to find out what smart home technology we really want to own.

It surveyed more than 6,000 UK-based respondents to identify the new type of smart technology they would most like in their home. 

Almost half of respondents (46 percent) most wanted to have a smart thermostat which automatically adjusts based on an individual's body temperature in their home.

Two out of five of us (40 percent) would purchase and use a smart vacuum cleaner that can also move items or clutter off the floor. 

Almost two out of five respondents (37 percent) are attracted by the concept of a smart fridge that suggests recipes based on what food is in there.

Over one in three (34 percent) want kitchen appliances that can connect and be remotely controlled by smart speakers or voice assistants and one in three (32 percent) of property owners are drawn to the appeal of a laundry-folding robot.

Laundry folding robots and recipe suggesting fridges among our most desired smart tech zdnet
Recycle Zone

Contrastingly, a smart kettle that can be controlled by a phone, is the smart tech product that we are least open to purchasing and using  -- only three out of 10 (30 percent) would be happy with it.

And only one in three (30 percent) would consider fitting smart shelves that can automatically and conveniently re-order items as soon as they run out 

Respondents were more open to streaming events and virtual reality.

Over two out of five (43 percent) would be most open to watching a theatre production or concert live streamed to their local cinema, and 37 percent want to experience a concert or event from the comfort of their sofa via a virtual reality (VR) headset. 


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However, only one in four (27 percent) would plan to virtually meet up with their friends to play games using a VR headset.

Almost three out of 10 (29 percent) have a preference to live video chat with a sales person as opposed to physically talking to them. This way, they can avoid the issues typical associated with in-store shopping, such as long queues and lack of parking.   

One in three (35 percent) want to try an interactive shopping method -- whereby they can buy the clothing people are wearing on TV through an app in real time. 

Shawn Hallums, a spokesperson from RecycleZone.org.uk said: "We are in the era of instant gratification -- where people want to utilise technology that makes different aspects of their life easier and more efficient. Companies have quickly realised this and created a multitude of devices and applications to cater to this apparent need."

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