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Imagine completely redesigning your apartment with the coolest, latest gadgets, no matter the expense. Well the staff over at Gizmodo (who probably know a thing or two more about gadgets than we do) have done just that, and opened it for all to see. In a four-room installation designed by architect Andrew Bernheimer at the St. Patrick Youth Center on Mulberry Street, Gizmodo staff arranged their favorite gizmos of the future—all available now—into a living room, kitchen, bedroom, office and outdoor area. The event is part of NYCxDESIGN, a two week-long celebration of New York City’s fashion, tech and architectural prowess.
Visitors have probably heard of or read about some products before, like Samsung’s U9000 Curved UltraHD TV. Others, like the Replenishing Tower rotating hydroponic garden, or the We-Vibe 4 couple’s vibrator, perhaps not.
Ogling a curved TV in the kitchen of the future
Visitors can sip plastic bottle-free water from Boxed Water is Better, or a futuristic Sixpoint IPA brewed with HBC 431, a new hop varietal bred for its resistance to a common hop disease. Spill something? No worries—a small army of Roombas patrol the Home of the Future, keeping the old-school basketball court squeaky clean.
Also scurrying around entertaining guests is a robot from Double Robotics. But this one talks back. Well, kind of. It is essentially an iPad on wheels connected remotely to a human who uses a web cam and software to control its movement. The manufacturer’s website says the bot “gives you a physical presence at work or school when you can’t be there in-person.”
As Geoff Manaugh, Gizmodo’s editor-in-chief points out, an unintended consequence of the Americans with Disabilities Act, which requires ramps in all new public buildings, is that our buildings are also more robot-friendly. This robot however, tripped over a cord-protector and fell face-flat, prompting a (human) docent to scurry over and help it up.
The bedroom of the future features an American-made mattress and a Dyson tower fan
There is a certain Jetsons-esque naivety to the display. A lot of the products are just souped up versions of household goods we’re already using today. The organizers may be cognizant of this however; the branding for the event features throwback sci-fi posters. But it would be nice to see products that enhance home life in ways we’re still figuring out, like the Nest line of smart thermostats.
But Gizmodo is aware that their vision of the future isn’t the only one, and has organized a series of panel discussions in the space, featuring authorities on everything from gaming to food to sex—smart people dwelling on the future of the dwelling.
Playing with drones
Home of the Future is located at 268 Mulberry Street and is open 11am – “late” through Wednesday. All events are free.
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