From flying cars to robots that cater to our every need, you might (not so secretly) hope that the future resembles something like Marty McFly on a hoverboard.
We won’t know for sure for a while yet, but I’d take bets that it probably looks more like this smart cottage located on LG’s Smart Park in Changwon, South Korea.
In June, I took a plane (and not a DeLorean, I’m afraid) to South Korea on a press tour with the consumer and home electronics brand LG.
@uktoday_ Would you live in an LG smart cottage? Read my story in the comments
During the trip, I saw first-hand some of the latest developments and products that are going to change the way we live and think about our homes.
When it comes to smart technology, our understanding – at least in the UK – is still largely restricted to our phones, tablets and other personal devices.
We’ve been reluctant to fully embrace smart tech within our homes – I blame the (truly terrible) 2016 film I.T. for that one.
Only 19.3% of Brits say they need ‘smart’ appliances, and 20.5% of us actually own one, according to LG’s own research.
Although I can’t hold Pierce Brosnan solely responsible for our slow uptake of smart home tech, I fear we are missing out.
Taking a short tour of one of these cutting-edge smart cottages, it was clear to see how we could get our houses to do all the heavy-lifting of living for us.
Fitted with LG’s smart home appliances
Almost every space featured a smart appliance tapped into the LG ThinQ network – all controlled at your fingertips with the ThinQ app.
As a Granny in Gen Z clothing, I’m not a fan of introducing complicated smart technology or AI features for the sake of it. But you will not get that here.
During our tour, it was clear how seriously LG took the crisis of ‘time poverty’ – the idea that we (increasingly) don’t have enough time to complete the necessary tasks we need to every day just to look after ourselves.
You could tell that every appliance and its features had been thoughtfully considered and designed to simplify our lives and even improve them.
Whether you want to protect your privacy with smart doorbells and CCTV or adjust the atmosphere inside your home with blinds and lights, you can control it with the touch of a button with the ThinQ app.
In true granny fashion, one of the features I found most exciting was some of the developments LG has made when it comes to washing and drying our clothes.
For example, in the new LG Tumble Dryer (VX700), there is a deep learning AI Dry feature that actually detects the weight, fabric type and moisture levels of your clothes.
It then does all the hard work for you by adjusting the drying time and temperature to not only optimise the performance but also protect your clothes.
I couldn’t help but think about all the times I have spent cursing my teeny tenement flat when trying to dry my washing on a jaunty clothes-horse in the bleak Edinburgh mid-winter.
And how much easier life would be if I owned one of these myself.
Sustainability at the core
Sustainability is also at the heart of its design, with the cottage also being constructed out of low-carbon steel materials from a South Korean steel company called POSCO. The modular home has a small footprint with 4-kilowatt (kW) solar panels on the roof, which generate 15 kilowatts of electricity per day ( roughly the daily needs of up to two occupants). The cottage features the Therma V™ Monobloc air-to-water heat pump, which is said to use less power than a traditional heating and cooling system. There is also an electric vehicle (EV) charger built in, so if you were considering making a switch, here’s your sign that the future is electric.
LG has even put the power of monitoring our energy usage back into our hands via the ThinQ app. Not only can you control each appliance there, but it also allows you to manage all your heating, air conditioning, and ventilation needs here. On top of that, you can keep an eye on your energy consumption and storage in real-time.
The LG smart cottage and space
Fundamentally, it is a cottage, so space is limited. I toured the Mono+, which is a single-story smart home that works out as 10 metres wide, 3.3 metres deep and only four metres tall. It’s not the only option on the market, though. There are double-story models, such as Duo and Duo+, if you are anything like me and need an entire house just for your clothes.
The one thing you can count on, though, is that the LG smart cottage makes use of every nook and cranny to make the space feel effortlessly functional and convenient. From the handy LG WashTower Compact that features a washer and dryer on top of each other to save on space, to the forward-thinking air-purifier/ living room side table.
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Not to mention the built-in microwave, three-ring hob and sofa that can turn into a bed, which means you benefit from all of LG’s latest technology without sacrificing on your home comforts.
Living in an LG smart cottage might indeed require an adjustment of lifestyle ( at least for fellow hoarders like me), but I think two people could live here quite comfortably. Sure, it’s a different kind of living than we’re maybe used to in the UK- simpler and more efficient – but is that what the future will call for? LG Smart cottages are currently being sold in South Korea, but just as a B2B offering, with plans to expand into the US and European markets in the future.
What do you think? Would you stay in an LG Smart Cottage or even live in one? Let us know in the comments.
