Voice recognition, cloud technology and artificial intelligence are set to shape the next generation of smart home appliances.
JEJU: Voice recognition, cloud and artificial intelligence are set to shape the next generation of smart home appliances, thanks to their capability to imitate human intelligence.
“Internet-enabled home appliances will gain more momentum over the next five to seven years, enabled by faster wireless broadband speeds and more affordable product prices,” said Eugene Yoo, general manager for global business development in cloud centre at LG Electronics.
“Starting this year, all of LG’s home appliances will feature advanced WiFi connectivity, which means we are putting the internet in everything we make from this year,” Mr Yoo said at the LG InnoFest 2017 Asia on Jeju island, South Korea. Prior to this, only LG’s premium home appliances came equipped with WiFi connectivity.
LG has integrated its connected home appliances with Amazon’s Alexa voice control system that operates with vocal commands instead of touchscreens.
The South Korean electrical appliance firm also unveiled its Hub Robot, a home assistant that can play music and provide information, as well as get the vacuum cleaner to run or put the washing machine on timer with a simple voice command.
LG also unveiled one of its flagship appliances, the OS-powered internet-connected Smart Instaview refrigerator. The fridge features stickers that alert users when food is close to spoiling, as well as a wide-angled camera for remote fridge observation.
Mr Yoo said the deployment of advanced technologies like cloud computing, big data analytics and artificial intelligence in household devices can enhance quality of life and enable cleaner energy in the future.
Ian Kim, vice-president for global marketing of LG Electronics, said the market for electric household appliances saw flat growth in 2016 worldwide, but the premium appliance market grew 7-8% last year.
To capitalise on this growth segment, LG introduced the LG Signature brand, a high-end line-up with stylish designs, high performance and durability.
Nipon Wongsaengarunsri, marketing director of LG Electronics Thailand, said the premium appliance segment is expected to account for 1% of Thailand’s home appliance market, valued at 100 billion baht.
The premium market in Thailand grew in line with the average global growth, while the local home appliance segment saw contraction of 2-3% in 2016.
Sung Jae Kim, managing director of the Thai unit, said LG chose Thailand as the first in Asean to unveil its LG Signature because high-end consumers here are willing to pay for quality. Through its local partners, the company plans to open 100 premium LG Signature shops this year.
Mr Kim said LG Thailand expects its revenue to grow by 10% in 2017, fuelled by the LG Signature products and a full line of its flagship refrigerators.
LG will also introduce a 2.57-millimetre thick 77-inch OLED TV in Thailand by June. TV sales accounted for 40% of LG Thailand’s revenue, followed by washing machines and air conditioners.
Mr Kim also said LG is considering if it wants to re-enter the Thai smartphone market this year after withdrawing in 2016 due to stiff competition.