Since the beginning of the industrial revolution designers, artists, filmmakers, animators, writers, scientists and entrepreneurs have dreamed up ideas of what life in the future may be hold. From dystopian societies where artificially intelligent machines plot against their human creators to utopian civilizations where humans are cared for by perfectly programmed sentient beings. Then, of course, there is the middle ground plot thrown in, perhaps involving a single super-powered robot powered by a ridiculous power source, and through its artificial morality compass it sacrifices itself and destroys the evil android army – giving the humans faith in the future of robotics.

But the home of the future isn’t exactly one based on robots – well not yet anyway. While there has been development in robotics, particularly in the Japanese health system (check out RoBear – a robot with the strength of an Olympic Weight Lifter and the face of a bear), they are still too costly for residential use and not particularly established.

No, the home of the future is based around existing appliances and infrastructures, with the word ‘smart’ thrown in front of it. Smart phones, smart TV’s, smart fridges, smart coffee machines, smart security – name an appliance it can probably be made smarter!

So to what end?

The idea behind the smart home is not a new one. The start of the Second World War saw radical changes in the way people (read: women) engaged in domestic duties. As men were off serving their alliances, more women entered the workforce to produce supplies for the war effort which saw domestic duties become less of a priority. Even though war was tearing nations apart and women were being employed full time, the typical home wasn’t left to squalor; instead new forms of technology emerged to meet a new demand - automated domestic appliances.

In 1882 the commercial generation, supply and distribution of electricity created a "network of appliances" to make household chores faster and easier. Washing machines, refrigerators, sewing machines and irons were some of the first devices to take advantage of the electrical network. This gave people more convenience, leisure time and increased productivity at home and work.

Although we have been fortunate enough to have avoided a third world war, technology has nevertheless continued to develop at an exponential rate. The Internet has become the electrical network of our time, allowing devices to communicate with each other and with users to create comfortable, sustainable and automated environments. The end goals are still the same – create convenience, more leisure time and increase productivity.

Check out the video below to see what the future holds in terms of Home Automation, and what we at Sense Technology want to bring to your home.