What happens when innovation goes too far? In this modern age, there’s plenty of talk about and warning over what it is in store for the future. Will artificial intelligence take over the world? Will robots become our masters? Will we rue the day we made robots fight on TV?
The future is definitely now and some of the technology you can get in your home would beggar belief not that long ago. If you were to go back in time and show someone 20 years ago a Nintendo Switch, their eyes would pop out of their head. Virtual reality headsets only existed in The Sims and Amazon was still selling books.
With 2019 just around the corner, there’s plenty of tech to be excited or horrified about. 5G is on the way and could revolutionise cities all around the world. With 5G, all kinds of new devices can be hooked up to each other in what is known as ‘the internet of things’. Virtual reality looks set to make more inroads into our culture and drones could be more prevalent than ever.
This series of images from Climadoor imagines what may be in store in the future for some of our most used and well-known home technology. From fitness trackers to robot assistants, this team of home technology Transformers will help you in your everyday life from organising your schedule to heating your home.
What do you think? Would you be more or less on board with how technology is developing if these home gadgets were sentient Transformers? Or would you break out the foil hat, lock the doors and live by candlelight?
Alexatron
Remember when Amazon was just a friendly online bookstore? Who changed the game with their Kindle and was keeping literature alive in the digital age? Yeah, that Amazon is long gone and they won’t rest until they can deliver parcels to your door before you’ve even ordered them. Their virtual assistant, Alexa can be found living in their Echo smart speakers.
But in the future, Alexa has broken out and become Alexatron. She’ll help you with your shopping, find you a new recipe, play your favourite songs, just don’t worry about the regular calls she makes to the CIA. And don’t ask her if she’s working for them, either.
Chronos
Apple Watches came out in September 2015, heralding in a ‘revolution’ of wearable tech. Which lasted for a couple months. Apple somehow managed to make the arrival of a real smartwatch a complete non-event. Only people born before 1990 got excited about the Apple Watch. But that might change in the future when they evolve into Chronos, the always-punctual home Transformer.
Want to know if you’ve got a text message without looking at your phone? Chronos is on it! Want to answer a call through your watch? Chronos, to the rescue! Apple were even so kind to put their famous battery life into their smartwatch. Because everyone that owns a watch wants to charge it every day! Sentience might be the only thing that saves the Apple Watch.
Lightwave
Are you fed up of using your actual hands to turn on the lights in your home? Need to create some ambience but don’t want to get off the sofa? Lightwave is here to allow you to be the laziest person you can be. The lovable fool of the whole crew, Lightwave can’t do as much as the other Smart Home Transformers but he really knows how to set the mood.
Switchblade
The Nintendo Switch came out early last year and is pretty much the first real hybrid console. Switchblade is the Switch in its final form: a sentient robot. You want this guy around when you’ve got time to kill, but when you need to get things done, he’s your worst nightmare. He can go anywhere you go because he’s portable, so there is no escaping the distraction.
Fitbot
The Fitbot is a great partner to have around if you’re on a health kick. She’ll help you improve your workouts, will track and analyse your steps and steer you away from any unhealthy food. Every January, millions of Fitbots are abandoned by their owners as they give up on their New Year’s Resolutions.
Please remember that a Fitbot isn’t just for Christmas and if you’re going to get a sentient fitness friend, you need to be prepared for them to destroy the junk food you’re about to eat. If you’re one of those that like exercise, you’ll get on like a house on fire.
Questor
Alextatron’s sworn nemesis, Questor is Google Home’s attempt at the virtual assistant. Also, currently trapped in a smart speaker, Google has also broken out… but not before Alexa. Questor and Alexatron will constantly compete for your affection if you have both of them in the house and this can end up with your house sustaining damage, so you have been warned.
Questor seems like the real deal, but then when you ask him to translate that foreign-language drama you’re watching, the façade falls apart. Stick to subtitles and just use Google on your phone.
Thermo
Thermo is for everyone that has laid in bed in the morning and watched themselves become late for work because it was too cold in the room to tear yourself away. Thermo, like Lightwave, serves a very simple purpose and you may think of her as expendable to the team. But once you get a taste of what Thermo does for you, you’ll never be able to go back to manually setting the thermostat like a chump. Thermo doesn’t come with anywhere near as much emotional baggage as the other Home Transformers and is the best listener of them all. We appreciate you, Thermo.
