When it premiered in 1962, The Jetsons envisioned a utopian city 100 years in the future, where everyone had flying cars and lived in smart homes. With its futuristic technology and smart gadgets, the cartoon series has since inspired generations of tech enthusiasts. From Rosie the robot maid to personal jetpacks, The Jetsons have supplied us with unlimited fantasies for the future. But now we have passed the halfway mark to that envisioned future, let’s take a look at the progress of some of the futuristic technologies featured in the famous cartoon. 

In the cartoon, the Jetsons’ family home is full of cool gadgets. It has climate control, a great Audio Video entertainment system, an intercom and everything is controllable with a touch of a button. We have nailed this technology, with complete smart home systems which can control lighting, Audio Video, electric blinds, door locks, climate, intercoms and any other device connected to the internet. All you need is an app, and you have complete control over your home no matter where you are. In fact, we can now create a smart home better than the one in The Jetsons.

(Verdict: Yes)

When I re-watched the show last week, I could not help but notice that the writers were obsessed with the idea of the video phone. These devices were featured everywhere on the show; even the very first episode showed Jane Jetson having a video call with her mother. And have we made this into a reality? You bet we have. In fact, we now have better video phone technology than the Jetsons’ prediction. Apart from “FaceTiming” our friends and family using our smartphones, we also have meeting room Audio Video systems which allow us to conduct business meetings with international business partners through AV equipment.

(verdict: Yes)

No childhood fantasy can be complete without flying cars. We all loved how George Jetson could get into his flying car and fly to his office. Although we now have many variations on the flying car, we still do not have the perfect passenger vehicle that we can see in The Jetsons. But the way things are progressing, it will not take a long time for us to get there.

(Verdict: Almost there)

In the cartoon, the family used hologram technology to create a Christmas tree. It must have been a far-fetched fantasy at the time, but we now have the technology. And it’s not only Christmas trees; we are now using the holograms of deceased celebrities and organising live concerts. In fact, in 2012, there was a live concert featuring Tupac’s hologram. Isn’t that amazing?

(Verdict: Yes)

In almost every science fiction film or TV show, robots feature heavily. The Jetsons is no exception. In the TV show, Rosie the robot maid is shown as being an integral part of the family, doing all sorts of things typical of a maid. Apart from Rosie, the show also features an automated vacuum cleaning robot and various other household automatons. Now, let’s look at real life. The good news is that we have vacuum cleaning robots. We also have robots which can do some of the dreaded housework. But if we compare this with Rosie (who also has a love life), then we are still lagging far behind. However, with significant improvement in Robotics and AI, we will certainly be able to create autonomous robotic housemaids.

(Verdict: Not ready, but work in progress)

Among the many glorious gadgets displayed in the show, Personal Pods were my favourite. They looked like a very convenient mode of transportation. Just last month, a Chinese drone company, “Ehang,” unveiled what it is calling the world’s first electric, personal “Autonomous Aerial Vehicle.” Although it has rotors and is slower than what we perhaps may have fantasised about, this still works pretty well as a personal pod.

(Verdict: Ready)

Another intriguing gadget that the show displayed was a machine that could create any type food at the push of a button. We now have 3D-printed food technology which can print various foodstuffs using organic materials stored inside the printer. There is a restaurant called Food Ink, which serves 3D-printed foods. And even better, they have a branch in London in case you want to fulfil one of your culinary fantasies. That’s another win for science.

(Verdict: Ready)

A watch for doing something other than checking the time? Now that’s a smart gadget. The smartwatches featured in the show could be used to make and receive video calls. Remember, we are talking about a TV show from the ’60s. But the people behind the show must have had a clear vision of the future, because today, we have many smartwatch brands on the market. Along with other smart features, these smart gadgets can indeed be used to make video calls.

(Verdict: Ready)

Remember the episode when George tried out a new pair of experimental smart shoes that dance on their own?  Well, we don’t yet have anything like that, but we do have smart footwear equipped with sensors that can track the movement of anyone wearing the shoe. Not only that, Nike the footwear giant has released a version smart footwear called “Nike Adapt”. It involves an app, a motor and wires that automatically tighten or loosen the shoe, according to your preference.

(Verdict: Not ready)

In Orbit city, there aren’t any playgrounds for the Jetsons’ family dog, Astro.
So, to keep him fit and healthy, George frequently takes him on their automatic dog walking machine, which is essentially a big treadmill spacious for both a man and his best friend. This doesn’t really involve any particularly advanced technology though, so we can safely say that treadmills for dogs are already a thing.

(Verdict: Ready)

Jetpacks have long been every kid’s dream gadget. In the cartoon, we were awestruck by Elroy Jetson’s cool jetpack. We spent nights thinking about how cool it would be if we could use a jetpack to land on top of school, making all the other kids go green with envy in the process. As it turns out, we already have the technology for this. Invented by British Inventor Richard Browning, the fully-functional Jet Suit Series 4 costs around £340K a unit.

(Verdict: Ready)

Another fantastic gadget which has made it into present-day reality is the hoverboard. Unveiled in 2012 by a French engineer named Franky Zapata, the real-life hoverboard is called the  FlyBoardAir. This device is powered by gas turbines and can fly up to 150 km/h. The same inventor is also responsible for the FlyBoard, which hovers over water using Hydroflight technology. This FlyBoard device is already mainstream.

(Verdict: Ready)

We have all heard of global warming, rising sea levels and pollution. So, at some point, you may well have thought of ditching our dying planet and live in outer space, right? The good news is that the great minds of our time are already working on creating orbiting cities just like those portrayed in the Jetsons. However, as you probably already know, that is very much in its infancy, and quite a long way from being made a reality.

(Verdict: Not Ready)

In one episode, George goes to the Doctor, who gives him a camera in the form of a pill that can be swallowed. After he does so, the camera activates and allows the doctor to see the inside his stomach. Well, a Pill Cam has been developed recently. It is used to examine a patient’s colon without having to do a colonoscopy. The pill cam has also been approved by US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

(Verdict: Ready)

The Jetsons is probably the most revolutionary cartoon of all time. The way they imagined future technologies and gadgets shows that they were clearly ahead of their time. We have already developed many of the technologies featured in the show, but we still have many years left to catch up to the rest. Who knows, maybe we will live in Orbit city in the near future.

Imagine going on holiday out of the country with your family and suddenly you realise that you have forgotten to turn off your heating system. That ruins the holiday, doesn’t it? Luckily If you have a smart home, then your holiday is far from being ruined. Just pick up your phone, open the smart home app, and turn off the heating system, that’s it, holiday saved. Smart Home automation system gives you full access to your smart features from anywhere in the world.

British homes are already full of electrical equipment’s. We use electric doorbell, Air Conditioner, heating system, audio-video devices, electric blinds, security system etc. All these are to make our life comfortable. But these are not any new technologies, there is nothing fancy about them anymore. Now we are living in the age of the internet when every electronic device is getting an IoT makeover. These smart devices can be connected to your network and controlled remotely. When all these smart devices connect to a smart home controller then your whole home becomes smart.

Smart lighting is the most popular smart home feature in recent times. When you replace your existing lighting with smart lights, you get options to control all your lighting system using an app. Using the smart home system, you can set different colours of light for different occasions, monitor energy consumption, schedule lights to turn on and off daily at the time you prefer. The automated lighting system will help you to reduce energy cost.

A luxury smart property is not complete without electric blinds. This cool technology lets you control all your electric blinds automatically. The smart system can adjust these blinds based on the availability of daylight.

In a smart home, you can expect to have smart audio video distribution system installed. All your speakers are kept hidden inside your ceiling or wall. Play your favourite playlist in any room you want using an app or control panel. If you have smart home scenes created in the system, your smart home will play music when you evoke any scenes. For example, if you have a scene for when you wake up, the system can play the radio or your favourite playlist at your bedroom or any other room after you wake up.

Another fantastic smart home feature is the climate control system. Every room has temperature sensors, which continuously monitor room temperature. Your smart home then controls all your HVAC units to make sure that you enjoy the optimum temperature at all time.

Live CCTV, Doorbell integrated with Intercom, Entry system, Motion detection, alarms, smoke detection all together make up security system of a building or luxury property. When you have a home automation system, you have the option of observing all your security devices in a centralised monitoring system. Did someone come in front of your door? The motion detection system sends a notification to your phone with CCTV footage, open the app and look who is at the door. Smart homes now have the option to fool thieves into thinking there are people in the home even when it is completely empty. This is called “Mockupency”. The smart home operates its lights, TV and blinds automatically when you activate this feature. So, if any bad guys are observing your property, they will think there are people inside.

Home automation market is now one of the most lucrative market. People who want to automate their home are generally wealthy and can afford to spend a fortune to make their home smart. That is why many tech giants are competing for market share. Big companies like Google, Amazon and Samsung are developing smart home devices targeting the general population while already established brands like Crestron, SAVANT, Control4, Lutron are building automation system for high-end customers.

If you are wondering, which automation brand is suitable for you then read below –

Crestron automation is best suitable for large properties, conference centre or event, stadium, Luxury Yachts. Crestron has its own building management system. Installation requires experienced Crestron programmer as it is more complicated than other options. Crestron is compatible with most IoT devices.

Perfect for luxury properties. Its elegant approach to a smart home solution is suitable for high-end customers. Savant has the best-looking app interface. It is easy to install and maintain. Keep in mind that. this awesome system is not cheap. Infect, Savant is the most expensive system on our list.  If you are looking for a classy system with an elegant looking device then SAVANT is for you.

Relatively inexpensive but offers complete smart home control. The system supports a wide range of IoT devices. If your property needs a home theatre, then Control4 has a built-in system to support home cinema.

According to our view, Lutron is the best automation system for smart lightings and electric blinds control. It has a stunning range of keypad collections. Lutron smart lights are responsive and beautifully designed. Lutron works with other smart home systems.

Google has been heavily promoting its home hub in recent months. Even though google home hub is a relatively new name but they have been already supporting many smart gadgets from Philip, NEST, Samsung etc. Google has the best voice assistant which you can use to command the home hub to play your favourite song, do your shopping, arrange a meeting, make appointments etc.

Just like Google Home Hub, Apple Home kit is also a system that allows you to control your smart devices using a central eco system. Powered by Apples voice assistant Siri, Apple Home kit supports only a handful of smart devices. So do not expect anything beyond ordinary from this system.

Compared to the Apple home kit, Samsung smart things has a much better system. It supports Philip hue bulbs, Arlo security camera, Yale door locks, ring video doorbell. SmartThings also features motion sensors and water leak sensor. A good alternative to Google home hub or Amazon smart home hub.

Amazon smart home with Alexa is now the most popular smart home technology. Even with a strong competitor like Google, Amazon is marching ahead with its great range of products. More products support Alexa than Google assistant. The only problem is, you can’t ask Alexa to play songs from YouTube. However, the same song is probably available in Amazon music library so, it does not matter much.

According to a market forecast, the number of the smart home device will continue to grow rapidly in the next few years. So, the future looks very promising for this technology. Many companies have invested millions of pounds into research and development of new smart home devices.

Google, Amazon, Apple, Samsung and all other tech giants are coming up with new smart products for middle class consumer group. Just recently Google has acquired NEST, a company known for making thermostats which are used in a smart home. Smart home technologies were a big hit in this year’s CES event in Las Vegas. So, the popularity of this technology is growing among people.

We predict, AI will play a greater role in automating daily tasks of people in near future. Machine learning ability of smart homes will allow the system to understand you better and predict what you need and act accordingly.

Voice recognition technology will see a massive improvement with multi-language support. Your smart home will act like a virtual assistant who will be able to make calls, interact with you like a real assistant. Remember Jarvis from Iron Man? Well, we are all getting something like that in future.

Privacy and unauthorised intrusion are the biggest concerns of technologies associated with smart homes. All it takes is one bad device and suddenly the whole system is accessible to hackers. Smart homes require regular monitoring. So, it has a maintenance cost associated with it. If you select a good home automation installer while turning your home smart, then they should be able to make audit your network for any security weakness and create a strong and secure control system.

Automated homes provide the ultimate comfort. However, to ensure everything runs smoothly, you will need to monitor all your devices regularly. For constant monitoring and troubleshooting, it is best to hire an experienced home automation installer for this sort of tasks. AVITHA can provide you with 24/7 monitoring of your smart home system. Contact us for details.

According to CNBC, Google is aiming to earn around 20 billion USD from their sales of smart home devices. So, they are taking their marketing campaign very seriously. Last year at CES 2018, Google had an impressive presence when you could see their Hey Google ads everywhere. In this year’s event, they have increased their presence even more. With 18,000 square feet space, Google was the biggest participant of this year’s event. And the main attraction of their booth was The Google Assistant Ride. While on the ride, visitors were given glimpse of how Google assistant can be integrated into everyday life.

Another big hit was Netatmo Door bell. This can be connected to Apple home kit making it worlds first home kit compatible smart door bell. With this doorbell, you can ask Siri who is at the door and HomeKit will broadcast live feed from the door bell camera to your phone. Another feature of this device is its ability to send alert when it detects people purposelessly standing in front of your door. The door bell has a 1080p full HD camera with an impressive 160-degree wide angle lens. The camera adjusts itself to deliver perfect picture even in bright sunlight. The doorbell camera also features infrared vision for night time.

All video recordings are stored in micro SD card, so you do not need to worry about using subscription-based storage. Alternatively, you have the option to use Dropbox to store your recordings.

GE bulb has displayed their latest smart light “C” in CES 2019. The company has teamed up with Google to make this smart bulb directly controllable through Google Assistant without having to connect it to the hub. Millions of colours are available to choose from for this colour changing smart bulb which proved to be a crowd-pleasing feature. These bulbs are also compatible with Amazon Alexa as well as Apples Home Kit. These bulbs use a Bluetooth low energy mesh technology to communicate with each other.

Sonos is already a huge name in the wireless home sound system market. Their elegant design blends in with luxury interiors very nicely making it one of the top smart home device. Sonos comes with built in Alexa. During the event, Sonos has given a hint that its newest speakers will be compatible with Google assistant.

The Control4 home automation system is an inexpensive alternative to other smart home systems. Control4 system comes with lots of fantastic features. It is a complete control system which allows you to control all your smart home amenities from control panels or an app. It is compatible with most IoT devices and very easy to install. In this article, we will discuss everything you need to know about the Control4 system.

Control4 offers a modular approach to home automation solution which makes it easier for dealers to install and maintain. It comes with two years of warranty period which gives its customers peace of mind.

It has an excellent support system. The support team is very responsive to customer complaints and requests. Additionally, Control4 provides its customers’ a huge amount of education resources on its website. The resource includes idea gallery to browse through different automation ideas which you can add to your home, lots of video demonstrations and a project planner tool which can aid you to clearly express what kind of home automation you want. This helps dealers to easily understand your requirements and build the system based on that. Control4 also provides relatively better after-purchase support than most of its competitors.

The company has about 100 hardware partners. These companies develop their hardware readily compatible with Control4 system. This makes it easy for your control4 installer to find a device that works with the kind of control feature you are looking for.

The EA series controllers from Control4 is the brain of the system. These controllers come with a built-in home cinema control technology, so if you want a home cinema then Control4 system is already ready for that. Their devices come ready to install. So, if you want to change your requirements and add or remove some features, your dealer can quickly find necessary devices and add the device to the system without having to rebuild it from bottom to top.

Another reason for you to consider Control4 is its compatibility with more than 20 widely popular security brands. Many of these security brands are compatible with different professional home security monitoring services. Please note that Control4 does not offer security monitoring out of the box. You will need to sign up for a service called 4Sight. This will enable you to control the system from a remote location and view live security camera feeds from your mobile device.

Another unique control4 feature is called Mockupancy. This feature can imitate what you would normally do if you were at home when in fact you are away. This confuses burglars into thinking that the home is not empty.

Control4 features an easy to operate yet powerful home management system which you can install in your mobile phone as an app or you can operate it using touch screen controllers. Both control devices offer almost identical looking user interface which makes it easier for users to learn how to operate.

Control4 can be used to automate a wide variety of home systems. It is a perfect solution for automating climate control, smart lighting, home entertainment system, and security system. Even your intercom can be controlled with Control4. Unlike home control systems from Amazon or Google, Control4 uses AI to automate some of your everyday task. For example, your regular task may include turning on the light and playing some music right after you wake up. Control4 AI can do just that without you lifting your fingers. Alexa voice control can be integrated to Control4 enabling you to use your voice to control everything that is connected to the automation system. So just say the magic word, and watch things happen.

Control4 does not sell its devices to customers directly, instead, it has an excellent dealer network all around the world who can design and install the system for you. You need to find a control4 dealer. You can use Control dealer locator tool to find your nearest dealer. If you are looking for a Control4 dealer in London, then there are some good companies in the City. Check their reviews, past projects, warranty period etc to determine if the company is best suited for you. Check if the company has CEDIA membership.

Control4 is one of very few major home automation systems that offers the homeowner software to customers for a one time fee. You can use this software to diagnose any problem and maintain your system yourself without having to contact dealers for every little thing.

The most important feature of any smart home system is its flexibility which allows it to fit inside any specific automation demand. Control4 system excels at that. Control4 provides training to every installers and dealer to ensure that customers are given service at the highest standard.

AVITHA is an authorized Control4 dealer based in London. Contact us using the live chat on our website or call us for more information. Our phone number is +44 (0) 20 3670 6046.

London, the financial heart of Europe is home to luxury properties worth millions of pounds which showcase the taste of their owners. Prime location and luxurious interior design make the luxury properties worth what they are.

However, in these uncertain Brexit times, it is difficult to sell a luxury property at a profitable price.

The problem is simple, there are too many properties in the market and only a few buyers. So how do you make your property stand out to potential customers?

To make a property smart, you need smart lighting; audio video distribution system, intelligent climate control, access control system, dedicated home cinema etc. The more features you add to your property, the smarter it gets. You can turn your home into a modern marvel if you decide to install a home automation system. To a potential client, a smart home is a huge selling point increasing your property value. So, your investment into a home automation system will return a quick profit.

As a London based home automation company, we have noticed numerous London homeowners decide “to make their property smart” to elevate it in the property market.

So, for luxury properties, installing a smart control system is an essential selling strategy. Want to know why smart properties stand out in the crowd to property hunters? Read bellow.

After a long day at work, you return to your home and the smart home adjusts the temperature based on your favourite settings, lights up the hallway for you and plays your favourite music. Then you hit the shower and the television installed in the bathroom mirror plays the news for you. You get out of the shower and ask Alexa to dim the light a little. Now that is the luxurious living. The whole idea of home automation exists to make life easier for people who live in the property. It saves time and enables the home-owner to enjoy comfortable living. Can you find a reason why someone wouldn’t want that when buying a luxury property? We can’t.

The smart home system gives you complete control over your property. You can control every smart feature of your home as well as doors and windows using the system. You can monitor your energy consumption and security systems even when you are thousands of miles away from your home.

Forgot to turn off the heater when you left London for New York? Just open your home automation app and turn the heater off, simple. Enjoy the holiday without any worry at all. That’s the kind of peace someone will get if they buy a smart property. A good selling point, don’t you think?

When someone wants to buy a home and move into a new area, the first thing that comes in his/her mind is the security. In a smart home, that issue is fully covered. You can get high-quality CCTV images transmitted directly into your mobile phone even when you are away. So, you are always connected to your smart home. You can monitor your home with CCTV cameras from inside and out. The smart security system can sense unusual activities around your home and can activate the alarm system notifying police. Now that is something a luxury property hunter would love to have and this will most certainly increase your property value.

In a typical luxury property, lighting and heating systems run continuously increasing energy costs and being environmentally unfriendly.

You can minimise your energy consumption by installing a smart home system. Home automation technologies have developed many ways to keep energy consumption to a minimum. A smart system can detect which room needs energy supply and which room does not and can act accordingly. So, in a smart property, you will only consume the energy you need. Not more, not less. This makes your property appear environmentally friendly to property hunters. Go Green!

If you invest in making your luxury property smart, your luxury property is far more likely to sell and will generate a considerable profit upon the investment.

If you would like to discuss making your property smart, AVITHA can give you consultation service. We offer complete home automation installation service in London and surrounding areas..