For sale: homes that think, then act

Sunday Times, Sunday January 25, 2004, author: Mark Macaskill
Text reproduced with the author's kind permission

WHEN Tom Cruise walked into his voice-controlled home in the film Minority Report, it seemed a vision of the future firmly rooted in science fiction.

Now, however, scientists are set to build Scotland's first village of "smart" homes, which will respond to their owners' emotions and voice commands.

The £7.2m village, comprising 12 luxury homes, will bring Steven Spielberg's vision of domestic life in Washington in 2054 to Edinburgh in 2004. The £600,000 homes will be controlled by a central computer that will
route voice commands to the relevant appliances through wires embedded in the walls and floor. Televisions, lights, ovens and stereos will all be linked to the system.

Sensors will detect when a person enters or leaves the house and adjust
lighting and heating accordingly. By analysing language and intonation, the computer will also be able to create atmospheric lighting and play music appropriate to its owner's mood. Other features of the smart home include a bathroom floor that monitors a person's weight and a system to water plants automatically.

The project is being led by Charles McGillivray-Davidson, an inventor and expert in home automation from Aberdeen who now lives in Malaga, Spain. His own home is managed by a computer called Alexander, which responds to spoken commands.

He is collaborating with scientists from Edinburgh University and Scottish technology and construction companies. Building is expected to start on the smart village this summer.

"We used to tick a checklist for fitted carpets, heating and built-in appliances, but very soon it's going to include voice recognition and restructured wiring which will allow homeowners to speak with their homes," said McGillivray Davidson.

"The first ones are aimed at the middle market and will cost about £600,000, but I want to develop a system that is available to everybody. It's not futuristic; it's just round the corner."

In America about 20m homes have already been fitted with some type of intelligent device. By speaking the appropriate command, homeowners can set the temperature of their homes, shut their garage doors or control their DVD players. Systems that allow people to control the lighting in their homes and lock doors remotely using mobile phones linked to computers are also being piloted.

While progress has been slower in Britain, scientists are predicting a surge in demand over the next few years.

McGillivray-Davidson has already held talks with local authorities including Glasgow and Colchester to develop affordable intelligent housing to help reduce pollution and waste.

"Over the next two to three years, the luxury housing market will be introducing features such as voice recognition, but it will soon filter down to housing associations," said Nick Wright, a scientist at Edinburgh University who is working with Davidson.

Jack McLaughlin, chief executive of Intellihome, an Edinburgh-based technology company involved in the project, said: "It's the Captain Kirk scenario from Star Trek where he interfaces with the computer by talking to it."

However, property experts say the location of a home will remain the crucial factor to buyers. "To me, the basic requirements of a home will never change," said Jamie McNab, of the Edinburgh-based estate agent FPD Savills. "Location comes first. It's important an aura of exclusivity surrounds this development. We'd expect high demand providing they're in the right area. If not, no amount of gizmos will help."

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