If “Smart” is in – Why it has not reached the most intimate living spaces

One of the campaigns that I distinctly remember was from Motorola some years back. It was titled “Intelligence everywhere”.

The world of Marketing and Advertising tends to move on quickly – and often some ideas are clearly ahead of their times. As societies trundle towards a point where technology becomes that all-pervasive defining force of our lives – “Intelligence everywhere” acquired a new meaning.

So, what does it mean for an average user like you and me?

Let’s go back to June 29^th 2007, when the most popular gadget known to mankind was launched. It was called the i-phone.

What made the i-phone different? If history looks back, the launch of i-phone would be the start of the time when the hand-held device in your hand started to have a certain intelligence of its own.

Mobile handsets were multifunctional earlier but with i-phone and 3G booting up almost at the same time – one could browse the net, receive those interactive ads based on your location, find about stock quotes and weather – all of this on the move.

Hence,with the advent of the i-phone – the term “smart-phone” caught on.

I personally believe that the consumer technology industry is quite creative when it comes to “naming” their products.

Recently, for example HTC launched a handset by the name “HTC Salsa”. Isn’t that an evocative name for a handset that targets the young and has special built-in social media touch features?

Coming back to the term “smart” – the term seems to be defining the next paradigm of technology and how it will interact with human lives.

They are calling these “smart technologies”. Why? Because they will be intuitive, will be able to modulate themselves as per the usage patterns and will be able to demonstrate some degree of underlying intelligence.

For example smart homes of the future would know from your facial expressions, the moment you walk in the room, what mood you are in and start to play your favourite Mozart symphonies! Reminds me of the Spielberg movie – Minority report.

Smart sensors in your living room or even implanted in your body will monitor your bodily rhythms and might something be amiss – will inform your physician.

Microsoft is talking about “Natural User Interface” in its gaming platforms – where the console environment will integrate itself with the user’s body movements to yield a seamless and coherent gaming experience.

GE is already experimenting with “smart grid” and “smart electricity meters”.

As a generalization, if you look around “smart technology” is transforming three fundamental areas of our lives – how we communicate, our health and how do we structure our living spaces.

Technology creeping into our living spaces is an exciting prospect. It is bound to make life simpler and easier. But one area, at least in large parts of emerging economies- is still untouched by the “smart wave” – our bathrooms and toilets.

Having said that, I understand that the Japanese consumers have built and use some of the most sophisticated bathroom and toilet environments in the world – but that is Japan you know – there is always a Japanese way of doing things!

The average bathroom and toilet space changed. But most of this change has been in the area of texture & aesthetics and overall look & feel.

Some people feel that technology should not stray in the most intimate human moments and spaces – let some things continue to stay pure and untouched!

Has it happened? You can expect to find, LCD touch sceens, expensive wall to wall tilings, music systems, water heating etc. in a lot of bathroom & toilet spaces.

But none of this will be “smart” – intuitive enough to know and modulate as per your needs & moods.

May be this is the next “opportunity area” for all the players in the luxury bathroom space. This is especially true for a market like India where the market is thought to be around USD 100 million and clipping at 30% - the fastest in the world.

Kohler is one such player that is trying to do exactly this – they are talking about “smart bathrooms & toilets” and think that India is ripe for such a product. They call it “high artistry combined with high technology”.