The Future of Smart Homes: What Sci-Fi Movies Predicted vs. What’s Now Possible

Smart home devices are taken for granted in Australia these days, but there was a time when they were a science fiction fantasy rather than an everyday reality. From The Jetsons to Blade Runner and Total Recall to Her, many high-concept futuristic science fiction TV shows and films have predicted smart appliances. But how accurate were those predictions? 

We look back at how much of the home technology predicted on the big and small screen became a reality.

Since the 1960s, sci-fi TV shows have featured smart home devices as a key part of futuristic, automated homes. Shortly after their US release, these shows were often syndicated to Australia and became equally popular. 

Set in 2062, the utopian animated family TV show The Jetsons (1962-1987) became renowned for its idealistic sci-fi home design that featured high-concept video calling, automated kitchens, and voice-activated smart appliances. While it may have seemed out of this world, many of its smart home devices have become a reality. Perhaps most significantly, this has included the concept of voice-controlled AI home assistants that foreshadowed Alexa and Siri and screen video calls that anticipated Zoom and FaceTime. While Rosie, the android maid, seemed a bit far-fetched, more practical smart home tech, like compact remote-controlled vacuums, including Roomba, has become a reality. The show also featured smartwatches, flat-screen TVs, and George Jetson communicating with his boss via video calling, which may have even foreshadowed the concept of remote working. 

However, animation can only take these ideas so far before they feel unrealistic. Arguably, the possibilities become more apparent and tangible when you have to visualise these home innovations for live action. Take the 1990 Arnold Schwarzenegger sci-fi thriller Total Recall, set in 2084. Here, the protagonist's home features a wall-sized TV screen that can be effortlessly flipped from broadcasts to environmental landscapes with the touch of a button — similar to what we can achieve at home today, though we have the added convenience of voice commands. Yet, some smart home tech in the film remains unrealised in the mainstream, like the concept of holographic virtual instructors, such as the one Sharon Stone uses to improve her tennis stroke.

Although prematurely set in 2015, Back to the Future Part II (1989) offered an inspiring take on future smart home enviros, some of which were adopted in Australia. It provided the plausibility of video conferencing and voice commands when an elder, Marty McFly, receives calls and communicates with his family. The kitchen in the future home also features a voice-activated food preparation system, which could be the next step for our contemporary smart appliances controlled by the likes of Alexa or Google Assistant. Home-automated security systems are also included as another functional device, even if they're not inevitably controlled via a handy smartphone app.

The 2013 sci-fi romance Her, starring Joaquin Phoenix and featuring the voice of Scarlett Johansson, imagined a highly advanced, voice-activated AI assistant that effortlessly integrated into daily life — resulting in both thought-provoking and, at times, unsettling outcomes. This foreshadowed a more intrusive version of modern voice assistants like Amazon Alexa, which was released a year later. While our smart systems haven’t quite reached the intuitive, peak creative potential of the film’s ‘OSI’ (aka ‘Samantha’), which includes offering emotional support and creative collaboration, they can manage daily tasks like setting reminders, playing music, and interacting with other devices. Chat GPT and similar advanced AI-powered language tools are progressing on the problem-solving and creative collaboration front; they just haven’t been seamlessly integrated with our smart systems yet. 

But what is the best smart home technology available in Australia today, and how does it compare to the sci-fi home design of this and other films? We examine what is available in the contemporary market and how it could enrich your home experience. 

While they haven’t fully entered the everyday mainstream yet, smart fridges on the Aussie market now offer advanced features that can replace conventional refrigerators. Thanks to internal cameras that monitor food levels, Samsung’s AI-powered Family Hub Refrigerator can track groceries that it recognises, helping ensure you don’t forget to restock essentials while shopping. A touchscreen on the door lets you view the contents inside without opening it. It can also recognise what food you have to make recipe suggestions for and act as a central hub for smart home integration — connecting with your other smart appliances to control lighting and security, for instance. In addition, it acts as an entertainment system where you can stream music and TV and make video calls. 

Anticipating the future, The Jetsons featured a smart fridge that could communicate with the family and suggest meal possibilities. Taking this a step further, the smart fridge could even automatically replenish groceries that were running low.  

Since its debut in 2014, Amazon’s smart speaker has grown from a simple hands-free music player into a fully-fledged virtual assistant, capable of responding to a wide range of home commands. This evolution continues with the latest device, Echo Show 21, which has a 15-inch screen and features advanced immersive 360-degree audio, faster responses, and enhanced smart home integration. This includes new environmental sensors that automatically permit Alexa to adjust home temperature, lighting settings, and program smart home security. 

The 2024 sci-fi thriller AfrAid imagines a more sentient and unsettling evolution of the virtual home assistant. The film follows a family testing a new digital assistant named AIA, which learns about them and anticipates their needs. However, this seemingly helpful technology turns sinister, going to extreme lengths to protect the family from harm and ensure a secure smart home.

The self-cleaning vacuum was introduced in 2002, and Roomba models arrived in Australia in the mid-2000s. These machines revolutionised the home cleaning industry by autonomously navigating floors without human supervision. However, some advancements have been made along the way.

The latest robotic vacuums come equipped with self-emptying bases, stronger suction power, and smarter mapping technology that adapts to your home's layout — including targeted edge cleaning. Previous model fallbacks have been overcome with a better ability to clean carpets and collect pet hair. Some include all-in-one functionality that can mop floors (via docking into a water device) and even dry them.

Washing your hands after handling food is a key part of kitchen hygiene, but touching the tap with messy hands can spread germs and increase the risk of contamination.

Fortunately, we now have the option of touchless sensor taps. These utilise innovative infrared sensor technology to automatically turn the water on or off when hands or objects are detected underneath. Sensor taps contribute to energy and water conservation, and some can even be connected to smart home systems for added functionality, like controlling water temperature remotely or monitoring water usage.

While you could argue that the future is already here, there’s still plenty of intelligent home technology on the horizon, driven by the growth of the Internet of Things (IoT), which will continue to shape how we interact with our homes. Smart homes are set to become more efficient and offer higher levels of automation. Predictions include increased AI-driven personalisation, fully integrated home automation, and the rise of virtual reality home spaces.

In reference to H.G. Wells’ futuristic science fiction classic, here are a few examples of technological Things to Come:

One of the most intriguing forecasts for smart home technology is the sleep-monitoring smart mattress. This interactive tech features a moveable screen on wheels, akin to a tablet, which displays a daily ‘sleep score,’ allowing you to track the quality of your REM sleep regularly. 

The next level of Alexa will listen to your commands and observe your habits to proactively customise your home through predictive behaviours. 

In this scenario, your daily routine could anticipate your needs before you even voice them. Imagine your smart speaker dimming the lights and adjusting the thermostat as you settle in for the evening or ordering groceries when it detects you're running low. With advancements in AI learning, future smart speakers may even recognise emotional cues in your voice and adapt their responses to suit your mood. 

Envision a mirror that does more than reflect — it interacts, informs, and transforms your daily routine. The smart mirror of the future could be equipped with AI and touch-screen capabilities, offering a fully interactive experience. These mirrors can display your daily schedule, provide weather updates and health metrics, or even give you a makeup tutorial as you prepare for the day. Integrated with smart home systems, they may also provide real-time updates from your connected devices, such as the status of your security system or energy consumption. In the near future, smart mirrors could become a vital home feature, effortlessly combining practicality with personal care.

While Spielberg’s 2002 thriller Minority Report explored the dangers of predictive smart systems with its central concept of ‘precrime’, featuring technology such as gesture-controlled interfaces and personalised advertising, it also raised questions about privacy, autonomy, and the ethical implications of a world governed by surveillance. These technologies, though still largely fictional at the time, have since begun to make their way into reality, sparking ongoing debates about their impact on society.

But will these technologies offer enough utility to justify widespread adoption? And what happens to human autonomy in a world dominated by machines? While this level of automation promises convenience, it also raises significant concerns about privacy and data security, highlighting the need to balance smart living, automated homes, and personal control. We know that the concept of a secure smart home is already here; now, we must remain vigilant about the potential dangers.

And there you have it — a glimpse into the future of smart home technology transforming our living spaces. Which home tech excites you the most? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
 

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