Smart Technology
The Smart Home leads a secret double life behind the wood and drywall.
A Smart Home calls for smart tech, and thanks to Gizmodo, the home has plenty of it. An authority on how technology can and does change the way we live, Gizmodo partnered with the Museum to outfit the house with the latest in gadgets and gear.
A digital nerve center built into the home works constantly and automatically to save the homeowners time, reduce energy consumption and make life more fun.
The amazing home automation system monitors energy usage by room and even by appliance, allowing the homeowners to fine-tune their consumption. It also tracks the energy being produced by the home, whether in the rooftop solar film or the 45-foot wind turbine.
The automation doesn't stop there. A media server can start a custom music playlist when you walk in the door. The house can adjust its shades when it gets too hot, and the whole house can be easily set to "hibernation" mode to minimize energy use while away or on vacation.
Just a few more of the high-tech innovations you'll see:
- The master bathroom's mirror can report the time, temperature, news and traffic, track weight gain and loss… and even access your Facebook account.
- A digital camera lets you change the focus of pictures... after you've already taken them.
- A water oven brings sous vide—precise cooking with vacuum-sealed pouches in temperature-controlled water—to the consumer kitchen.
- Self-watering plants monitor their own moisture levels.
It's a walk through the house of the future that isn't so far off.
New Meets Old
Continuing the Smart Home's blend of past and future, the Museum's collection has provided some items (some not publicly displayed in decades) to elegantly contrast what was cutting-edge technology with their modern descendants. A wireless keyboard meets its forebear in a circa-1900 Corona typewriter. A 1970s Polaroid camera can remind you just how quickly the wireless photo uploads of an Eye-Fi memory card may become part of everyday life.
- Museum Hours
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- Daily from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
- Open daily except Thanksgiving and Christmas
- Museum Location
- Getting Here
- Happening Now
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Animal Inside Out
A stunning look inside the animal kingdom from the creators of BODY WORLDS.
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Space Junk
A visually stunning exploration of our planet's perilous ring of orbiting debris.
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Air Racers
Ride along as elite pilots fight for position, wingtip-to-wingtip, in the fastest motor sport.
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- Coming Soon
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Inventive Genius Lecture: Empires of Light
Jill Jonnes discusses the electric clashes between Edison, Tesla and Westinghouse.
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The Wooded Isle and Gardens of the World's Fair
Cathy Maloney discusses the gardens of the World's Fairs and tours the Wooded Isle.
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The Wooded Isle and Gardens of the World's Fair
Cathy Maloney returns to discuss World's Fair gardens and tour the Wooded Isle.
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Exhibit Resource Guide
- Download the 2012 Smart Home resource guide to see the eco-friendly products, "green" ideas and resources found in the exhibit.
- Exhibit Resource Guide (PDF)