Smart Technology
The Smart Home leads a secret double life behind the wood and drywall.
There's a digital nerve center built into the home that works constantly and automatically to save homeowners time, reduce energy consumption and make life more fun.
For the third year, the MSI is partnering with automation and technology advisor WIRED magazine to incorporate "smart" technologies into the home, continuing to focus on energy efficiency and allowing homeowners to make greener choices.
Just a few of of the high-tech innovations you'll see:
- A sophisticated automation system allows homeowners to operate the home’s temperature, lighting and entertainment features from touch-screen panels.
- An energy monitoring system tracks, in real time, the amount of energy being generated by the home’s solar film and 45-foot wind turbine. Homeowners can track their energy consumption and, with an Internet feed of energy pricing, calculate the savings to be gained by adjusting power usage.
- The kitchen countertop can wirelessly power a blender or charge mobile devices.
- An air purifier with a sleek, high-tech look scrubs the indoor atmosphere with a minimum of watts.
- A digital photo frame with a motion sensor can turn itself off when nobody is present.
- Museum Hours
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- extended hours through April 11 start Saturday:
Monday – Saturday: 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. - Sunday: 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
- Open every day except Christmas Day
- extended hours through April 11 start Saturday:
- Museum Location
- Getting Here
Exhibit Resource Guide
- Download the Smart Home guide for 2010, updated with all-new eco-friendly products, "green" ideas and resources!
- Exhibit Resource Guide (PDF)
Smart Home Podcast
- Meet the architect of "Chicago's greenest home" in our interview with Michelle Kaufmann.
Download the Smart Home Podcast
Learn More
- Find out more about the mkSolaire and the architect who created the home.
Read Michelle's blog - See the Smart Home on NBC Nightly News.
- Check out the story