CES 2021: Kohler, LG, Samsung, RoboRock & Ecovacs carry out your voice commands in your smart home

In 2021 you’ll be talking to all your appliances and they will talk to each other.

Samsung Simple UX range

In 2021 you’ll soon talk to all your kitchen appliances and they will talk to each other. That’s my prediction after viewing the new smart home offerings at CES 2021, the world’s largest consumer electronics show which this year is being held online.

The kitchen is the hub of the home and generally where we place our first smart speaker. You can ask questions about the weather, play music or ask for traffic information as you fry eggs and cook toast. Kohler has developed a smart kitchen tap that lets you use voice commands to ask for “200ml of water” which flows out when you place a cup underneath it. The company has taken things further letting you dictate water temperature. You can toss away the measuring cup.

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LG Range with Air Sous Vide

LG Range with Air Sous Vide

LG lets users open their 2021 fridge by voice. You can shout “open the fridge door” to have it swing open. The latest Samsung fridge adds a water jug which automatically refills whenever it’s placed in the fridge. The kitchen oven can be controlled by voice and with a smartphone. You can sous vide and air fry, and reduce the appliances needed in the home. LG has added “scan to cook”, which lets you scan the barcode on your frozen pizza immediately and send preheating and timer instructions to the oven ensuring you don’t make a mistake. That’s for pizza boxes that offer it.

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Kohler bathroom

Kohler stillness bath

Whenever you enter the bathroom, you’ll be greeted with automatic ambient lights from a smart mirror and smart toilet from Kohler. The latest throne costs thousands of dollars but you can use voice control to flush it, drop the seat automatically, pre warm the seat and even play a favourite Spotify playlist or news update while you are perched. The bathroom sink doesn’t require taps with sensors triggering the water flow when your hands are close enough. You can use voice control to adjust the temperature. A quick word to your smart speaker will turn on the shower with your personalised temperature settings – not too hot and too cold but the way you like it.

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Smart washing machines & dryers

Samsung Simple UX range. Supplied.

Going to the laundry, the latest Samsung Simple UX washer and dryer can talk to each other. You will not need to manage the settings twice when you start your load in the washer and transfer it to the dryer. You will need to move the load from one machine to another yourself, for now.

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Robot vacuum cleaners

RoboRock S7 robot vacuum cleaner

Robot vacuum cleaners that mop the floor will help you clean the home. RoboRock has announced their latest cleaner, the S7. When carpet is detected, the mop rises to avoid touching the floor, and suction on the vacuum automatically increases. Ecovacs has a similar unit called the T8 AIVI. It empties its dustbin automatically to ensure it completes the entire home, no matter how dirty the job is.

Geoff Quattromani is a tech commentator across radio, print, online and television. Check out his podcast “Technology Uncorked” for new information each week.