TECH SOLUTIONS

TOUCHLESS TECH

The digital world is increasingly going hands-free - discover how you can bring the convenience of touchfree tech into your home

fundamentally, when we speak about ‘touchless tech’, this refers to the ability to control an appliance or device without actually swiping a surface or touching buttons. While it’s fair to assume that the rise in this hands-free way of living might be a hangover from the pandemic, this functionality has been growing and developing for many years. From voice assistants to sensors, and even devices that you program to work autonomously, there are so many areas in the home now where you don’t have to lift a finger.

SIMPLE ORDERS

If you’re only using your voice assistant to set timers, check the weather or ask trivia questions, then there’s a whole raft of functionality that you have yet to tap into. Doing so will involve investing in different smart home products, but then the possibilities of what you can do via voice command will really expand, from controlling your lighting to your home security system, central heating, music, vacuum cleaner, coffee machine, TV and much more.

SMART SENSORS

While sensor activated appliances are clearly beneficial for those with mobility problems, there are many reasons why this clever functionality would benefit all homes. Public loos are already full of motion sensors on flushes, taps and hand dryers, which helps with hygiene as well as saving water and energy. But for convenience, this simple tech is also available in plenty of areas in the home. For starters, you can open the fridge door of LG’S Signature Door-in-door fridge-freezer by waving your foot in front of a sensor at the base – perfect if your hands are full. The same goes for any number of waste bins, from brands like Eko and Simplehuman, with lids that open when you swipe your hand above the sensor (the latter also opens via voice control). Philips Hue’s Motion Sensor will trigger lights to turn on automatically, ideal for night-time trips to the loo, or outdoors for added security. And just like public loos, you too can have bathroom or kitchen taps and soap dispensers with sensor activation.

AUTOMATED CONTROLS

The concept of an automated home feels strangely futuristic, but the reality is that much of this functionality is now commonplace in many homes across the UK. Smart lighting and thermostats can be programmed to turn on and off automatically, at different brightness and temperatures at various times of the day. A robot vacuum can be programmed to give your floors a once over at a time of day when the house is empty, so it can zoom around without distraction. Outdoors, smart sprinklers and robot lawn mowers can work to set routines for watering at dusk or cutting the grass in the afternoon. The possibilities really are endless, helping to make daily tasks much easier – what’s not to like?

You can program your smart home ecosystem to use the GPS on your phone so things like lighting and heating, switch on when you’re nearby