BBC Knowledge Asia Edition2

SLEEP

A decent night’s kip is something everyone would

like, but at the moment sleep tracking is all that

most people can hope for. But a new wave of smart

mattresses and covers can not only track sleep, but

help improve it too.

The Eight is a cover that slips over your mattress.

It tracks 15 factors and then warms or cools the

bed accordingly to optimise comfort. Thanks to

dual zones, Eight is able to track you and your

partner’s sleep individually, and improves as it

learns.

STORAGE

With space at a premium, storage becomes an art

form. Understairs cupboards that slide out are

currently a popular option. The future could be even

more inventive. Imagine drawers that automatically

vacuum-seal your clothes to save on space, or anti-

gravity shelves that move up and down as needed.

SURVEILLANCE

Smart homes aren’t complete without some sort of

camera that can be monitored from a smartphone

app. So far we’ve got Nest Cam,

Logi Cam and more. These let parents be alerted to

noise or movement in a child’s bedroom, or allow

residents to add security to their properties without

an expensive system.

Cameras are already able to recognise faces and

can be set to allow or deny access. The future

should go beyond facial recognition with doors able

to recognise a combination of gait, smartphone and

scents from a person. The result will be a far more

trustworthy security system, without the need for

keys or even handles.

FURNITURE

With rumours that the next iPhone will be

por t-free, and wireless charging as standard in lots

of smar tphones, it’s time for furniture to catch up.

Ikea sells tables and lamps with built-in wireless

chargers, while Starbucks offers a similar feature

on its tables: drop your phone in the right spot and

it’ll juice up.

Ease of use and reduced clutter make this a

winner, so expect plenty of smar t designer furniture

to start appearing this year, too.

SLEEP

HABITS

1986

Good sleep was

attained from drinking a

nightcap and shutting

the curtains.

2016

Smart lights can gently

ease a person off to the

land of nod, while tracking

tells them how well

they’ve slept.

2036

Smart mattresses, clever

lighting and noise-

cancelling devices will

create a perfect snoozing

environment.

BEDROOM

Sleep better with the

Eight tracker

SCIENCE