Smart furniture could be next Internet of Things innvoation

Technology has brought smart phones, smart watches and even smart refrigerators to the market, but the newest innovation in the Internet of Things may be smart furniture. On November 9th, CNET reported on this in an article entitled “Internet of Things Smart Furniture unveiled by SK Telecom, Hyundai.” Jason Hope believes this development shows yet another way that the Internet of Things will soon be common place in homes around the globe.

According to CNET, SK Telecom, South Korea's largest mobile carrier, and Hyundai Livart, a South Korean furniture maker, have teamed up to create a product they call Smart Furniture. The Smart Furniture includes items like cabinet doors with built-in touch screens or dressing tables with Internet connectivity. These devices will allow users to browse the Web, listen to their favorite news station, look for a recipe or even check the weather without the need for a phone or tablet in their hands. Smart Furniture will be available to developers in December 2014 and the general public in early 2015.

“With Smart Furniture, families can cook meals with the recipe right on the cabinet door, women can search for accessory ideas or makeup tutorials in their dressing rooms and people can check the weather in their closet before choosing their clothing for the day,” says Jason Hope. “The opportunities these devices afford are limitless, and they will make life more convenient for those who use them.”

The unveiling of smart furniture came after 10 months of collaboration between the two companies. The CNET article indicated that Hyundai plans to add 10 additional products to the first Smart Furniture lineup, and that the Smart Furniture products are expected to bring in 50 billion won to Hyundai by the end of 2017.

“This is the next evolution that started with the smart refrigerator,” said Hope. “I am excited to see where it is going to go!”