It is easy to imagine a scenario in future when all our household appliances operate according to voice commands, not least because hardware such as Amazon’s Alexa are already making this reality for some devices.
The Germany electronics and engineering giant Bosch is entering this space with a vengeance, just a decade after buying its first Internet of Things (IoT) company.
Last year, 60 percent of its product classes were Internet enabled, and all electronic Bosch products will be connected, with built-in WiFi, by 2020.
Bosch’s Home Connect platform is connecting devices produced by the company – and some other companies, such as Siemens – to the IoT. It is available in 32 countries, a number the company is keen to increase.
With a Bosch app, ovens, coffee machines, dishwashers, fridges and tumble driers can be connected, and then controlled by a voice-controlled device such as Alexa.
“If you tell the oven that you’re hungry, Alexa will reply with the time – how long you have to wait before the dinner is ready,” said Andras Bocsak, marketing manager Home Connect with Bosch subsidiary BSH.
“If you have children, they can ask five times and she will always respond very politely. She won’t get angry.”
Customers without hardware like Alexa can simply control their devices using the app on their mobile phone, whether it uses iOS or Android.
“In the Home Connect app we have a recipes section. Within the recipes section, you can choose a recipe and the oven knows what oven you have [and what settings it must be on], so it’s tailor-made for your oven. It’s success guaranteed,” he said.
Functionalities linked to Home Connect are growing, with the option to use voice control, for example, having been introduced last years.
“That’s the great part. You buy these appliances and maybe you plan to own for 10 years; every year you will receive new functionalities,” added Bocsak.
“You can experience things you wouldn’t expect from your home appliances. It opens up a world of possibility. You wouldn’t really expect when you buy an oven that you can talk to it.”
Products from a limited number of other brands, including Gaggenau, Neff and Thermador, can also be controlled using Home Connect.
“All around the world you can buy applications that work with home connect,” said Bocsak.
