5 innovative home technologies
These innovative home technologies could help make your home more energy-efficient and more eco-friendly.
1. The waterless dishwasher (that also doubles as a kitchen cabinet!)
Although traditional dishwashers use less water than filling the kitchen sink to wash your dishes by hand, dishwashers remain one of the prime guzzlers of water and electricity in the home. That’s why the waterless dishwasher was created.
Designed by a group of industrial design students in Turkey, the ‘dualWash bipartite dishwasher’ utilises carbon dioxide for cleaning rather than water. Whilst water curls up into a ball, carbon dioxide has a much lower surface tension, allowing it to spread out and cover a larger area. A filter catches any solid leftover food particles, and the filter can then be removed and cleaned separately.
The sleek, wall-mounted design has two sides; one covered side for dirty dishes and one clear side for clean dishes, so dirty dishes need not ever be on display again.
2. The water fuelled lamp
Lighting has been moving towards going green for a long time with energy saving bulbs and so on but the water fuelled lamp may be the greenest invention to date.
Dubbed the WAT, all that is required is a little H20 and a hydroelectric battery, which is composed of a carbon stick coated with magnesium. The two combine to create an electro chemical reaction that can light up several LED strips, shining light on any situation.
It’s completely cordless too!
3. The self-cleaning toilet
Self-cleaning toilets are already popping up in many public spaces throughout Europe and it could just be a matter of years before they become the norm for private homes too.
They operate using a mixture of solar power and sensors, so once you’re done using the loo, they get straight to work by sanitising, scrubbing and deodorising. Many self-cleaning toilets come with a variety of other luxury features too, from heated seats to pop-up footrests to integrated music systems.
4. The OLED TV
Televisions that run on Organic Light-Emitting Diode (OLED) technology are ten times sharper than most LCD screens yet use up to 40% less energy – so finally, there is a greener way to binge on Netflix.
LG already have a number of OLED models on the market, although they don’t come cheap, retailing between £2,000 and £6,000. However, as OLED technology becomes more widely adopted, retail prices are likely to become more affordable.
5. The Nano Garden
Londoners are fond of fresh, home grown food, yet most of us are lacking a garden to grow it in. And that’s where the Nano Garden enters the equation.
Taking up as much space as a fridge freezer, this latest invention from Hyundai’s engineering and construction division and South Korean design firm Gromo will make you feel like you have a mini greenhouse in your kitchen.
The Nano Garden uses hydroponics, which eliminates the need for pesticides or fertilisers, and the light, water and nutrients levels are all controllable, so you can grow all of your herbs, vegetables and greens at the right speed.
Of course, it’s no match for the real thing, so always try to grow your food outdoors where you can.