NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Remember the Jetson's? The tv show from the 60's that showed a family in the future who were surrounded by robots who took care of lots of the family's chores. Well, guess what? We're living now in the age of robots.
Look around your house. Maybe you have a refrigerator powered by artificial intelligence? What about an automated vaccum? Household robots are on the rise!
From vacuuming your floors to cleaning your grill, today’s smart appliances promise convenience at the touch of a button. But are they delivering?
Consumer Reports’ Dan Wroclawski tracks the latest in home and garden tech.
“While these products are helpful, they tend to be pricier than their traditional counterparts and they often have complicated setup processes and require extra tinkering to keep them working,” said Wroclawski.
Take Samsung’s new five-thousand-dollar Bespoke refrigerator, which comes with an “AI vision camera” that’s supposed to recognize the groceries you add to your fridge.
When Consumer Reports tested the feature, it worked about half the time and struggled with packaged foods like milk and soda.
Consumer Reports' evaluations of robotic lawn mowers found you’ll need to pre-mow your grass to a specific height before you can set these robots loose on your lawn. And all that “convenience” will cost you hundreds to thousands of dollars.
But it’s not all bad news. Some smart products — like robotic vacuums — have come a long way. They’re now better at dodging obstacles, navigating tight spaces, and picking up dirt along edges and in corners.
And while not exactly a robot, Consumer Reports says a smart thermostat is a great investment.
“These will cut down on your heating and cooling bills, using AI to automatically adjust the temperature, especially when you’re not home. They also connect to demand response programs from your local utility company, which can give you discounts on your bill,” said Wroclawski.
The new Google Nest Learning Thermostat does all of that and earned top marks
in Consume Reports tests.
It's also to be mindful of the security and privacy settings with these smart home products. While each setup is different, be sure to turn off data sharing, if possible.
Do you have more information about this story? You can email me at jennifer.kraus@newschannel5.com.
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