From what I’ve read in the 2010-2020 decade we will start putting computers in tons of consumer goods. However what purpose will these computers serve if we actually start doing this? I can only think of a few reasons
Sensors to detect problems and potential problems so that it is easier to fix a broken appliance or piece of furniture
Sensors that detect environmental stimuli and change the appliance/furniture to accomidate it (ie, sensors that adjust cusion hardness/softness and contours to automatically fit the person sitting on it, sensors in a wall that make the wall harder or softer depending on outside weather)
Aside from that I can’t think of any reasons for computers in home appliances. Are there a bunch of other reasons I’m not thinking of? It seems interesting, but I’m not sure what purpose they’d serve aside from those.
I have a coffeemaker that I can program to start whenever I want, for instance. Does that count, even though the effect can be accomplished with a mechanical timer?
Would depend on the appliance. One thing you didn’t mention was that putting a computer into an appliance allows you to wire it to the internet (or the 2020 equivelent). What would this do for you? Well, it could allow you to monitor the appliance when you weren’t home. You could give it instructions to begin doing something on its own (say, make you a pot of coffee). Also, it could keep track of the amounts of product it needs (coffee beans, or maybe food in your 'fridge), and automatically order your favorite foods or drinks when it started to draw down on your stores (based on some threshold you set).
Currently my home entertainment system has a computer at its heart that keeps track of my favorite shows and records any that I’ve missed automatically. It can also keep track of my favorite actors and record any shows where they appear. I can do the same thing with my satelite radio (it doesn’t work as well yet for some odd reason…I guess the software isn’t as solid yet). You could project that to just about ever device or appliance in your home. Toasters could have a supply of toast inside (and could monitor it for freshness, total storage, mold, etc) and automatically make you toast when and how you wanted it. Coffee and tea the same. I suppose your 2020 equivelent of a microwave oven could automatically move frozen meals (perhaps one’s you ‘prepared’ in advance, perhaps bought frozen or dehydrated staight from the store) from your smart 'fridge unit to the oven based on commands you send home from work on what you want for dinner that evening.
In Japan they’re calling this Ubiquitous Computing and are trying to push it into being–the problem being the protocol one uses.
Essentially they would like to have all your appliances available to be connected to over a local network (for instance, running over your houses’ power outlets and then jumping to normal network.) Then each thing you buy, you plug in and it will pop up it’s own list of services that it provides to be handled over the net. But as said, the protocol to have this all be “just plug it in and go!” is up for debate, with there being two or three big groups fighting it out.
As to the point of it…well to make money buy selling new features of course.
I was working on a project for integrating IC card keys into apartment buildings and everyone was honestly debating whether we should work on having the card reader say “Welcome home!” and such when the person swiped their key. Blech.
Another thing that they’re looking to do with all the various computerization of gizmos is have it so that when you walk into your house, the lights will automatically come on, and as you walk around the house, the lights will go on and off as you make your way through the house. There’s even research on implanting a chip into you so that as you walk around the house, if you’re listening to the radio in one room, the radios in the rest of the house will turn themselves on and tune themselves to the correct station as you walk by. Lamps will also be able to monitor the light levels in the room and adjust themselves accordingly.
Yeah, ok. I guess there are alot of uses. A major use that I didn’t add would be medical diagnostics. A bathroom that analyzes body leavings (stools, dead cells, saliva, urine, etc) that is left in a sink, tub or toilet could be extremely useful for medical diagnostics. People are working on various nanotech diagnostic tools that can detect most forms of cancer, heart disease, infections and numerous other abnormalities from a small sample of body fluids. Then that info would be sent to you or your doctor.
RFID (radio frequency ID) would also be useful to find things like your keys.
