TVs will know more about you, your dog — and even help you cook dinner thanks to AI
Televisions are becoming more of a hub to control homes, with manufacturers cramming AI into sets in the quest to make us — and our pooches — healthier, without having to wear a fitness watch.
Big TV makers are cramming AI into their new sets, promising a wonder of new viewing experiences, but that’s only the start. The technology is set to change the way we view TV, helping make us fitter, care better for our pets and even get dinner on the table.
In an effort to capitalise on an ageing population, Korean electronics giant LG unveiled Intelli-FiT — a digital biomarker and workout program — at CES, the world’s biggest electronics show, in Las Vegas this week.
Intell-FiT has been built into TVs using LGs new AI-powered Alpha 11 processor. TV cameras and mat sensors scan your body to check for bad posture, then the program suggests workouts for you to fix any ailments.
It can even measure your heart rate — without being connected to any smart watch or other wearable device — while you are performing exercises in front of the TV.
If you buy a separate foot pad, the number of workouts you can do increases, like walking up a virtual mountain in Korea where once you reach the top you can pan the screen for 360 degree views.
When asked how much smarter smart TVs will become, Baik Seon-pill, leader of LG’s Home Entertainment Product Development division, says it’s more about TVs offering more personalisation.
“Hardware-based innovation, I think, is over-saturated,” Mr Baik said.
“We think of TV as a family device and we often think about how can we make that a personal device.”
LG says Intelli-Fit then provides a “comprehensive assessment of your body’s condition both before and after workouts”, crucial for an ageing population.
“This feature acts like a personal trainer inside your TV. The AI-powered workout manager customises exercise plans tailored to your specific needs, offers expert coaching tips and consistently tracks your performance, supporting you throughout your fitness journey,” the company said.
“LG Intelli-FiT isn’t only about fitness; it’s about providing valuable experiences and benefits, particularly for seniors aged 45-65 who are striving to maintain their health as they age, and for older adults in need of daycare services.”
LG earned an ‘honoree’ title at the CES 2024 Innovation Awards in the digital health category. The trade show, which has more than 4000 exhibitors, said Intelli-Fit was an “invaluable service” which “provides the convenience of accessing digital healthcare from the comfort of the user’s home, offering a wide range of services, including insurance, telemedicine and senior daycare services”.
A main theme at CES was how manufacturers are harnessing AI to make appliances work better together.
Hisense has big ambitions in this regard, using artificial intelligence to recreate recipes from your cooking shows via a click of the button and its ConnectLife platform.
The technology can also modify recipes to suit any allergies, then “talk” to the fridge to see if you have the right ingredients, and prepare
appliances for cooking such as setting hotplates and ovens to the correct temperature.
Hisense national appliance trainer for Australia and New Zealand, Chris Mayer, said a consumer could even go back to the lounge room and check how a meal is cooking in the a smart oven via the TV.
“The idea is that you’re sitting there watching a show, watching MasterChef for example, you jump in, press that button and you can just basically take that recipe you just saw,” Mr Mayer said.
“And the whole purpose of Connect life is making each of those products greater than the sum of the parts that make sense. Each of these devices are great in isolation. But if we bring them together they actually become more.
“It’ll even do a wine pairing.”
Samsung also can connect appliances to help prepare meals, with its smart fridges able to detect near out of date food and suggest different recipes using those ingredients. But it is also looking at caring for household pets via its SmartThings platform.
Using sensors and AI, “SmartThings will be able to detect unusual circumstances, such as a fall, and send alerts to designated family and caregivers,” Samsung said.
“Also, thanks to the Galaxy SmartTag2, users can track their pets’ activities and digitally store contact information by attaching the tag to a collar or harness.”
In the US and Korea, users can even use a camera on their tv to book veterinary telehealth appointments for their pets. Meanwhile, people can also connect their Samsung smart watch to their TV to display fitness stats such as the number of calories burned, time trained and their heart rate, while the cycle on a conventional exercise bike. This removes the need for a smart exercise bike.
“The TV, with the Samsung Daily+ service, will increasingly become a central hub for much of this smart home functionality, while also granting access to a variety of additional services.”
*The authors travelled to Las Vegas as a guest of Hisense and Samsung.
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