Create Your Own Tech House of the Future, Today

Ever wonder what it would be like to live in a 'house of the future'?  Several companies, including LG and Toto, are working to re-define the way we think about 'housework'.

Stepping into the kitchen, LG Electronics has a new refrigerator model complete with built-in cable television, electronic cookbook and weather channel for roughly $4,000. Other modern refrigerators boast advanced climate controls that monitor food expiration dates to let their patrons know when certain foods have spoiled. (Source: matr.net)

In a few years, manufacturers are even hoping to include a "projection kitchen counter" that is able to interpret microchips on ingredients and offer simple recipes using only those ingredients.

Exiting the kitchen and stepping into the bathroom, tech-aficionados will be taken aback by mirrors that double as LCD television screens. When turned on, the mirror acts as a widescreen television. When turned off, the mirror returns back to normal.

For about $3,700, homeowners can even ditch their traditional porcelain toilets in favor of the new "Intelligence Toilet" from Toto. The Intelligence Toilet has the ability to monitor sugar levels in urine, blood pressure and weight, analyze the results and send the data directly to the family doctor. (Source: usatoday.com)

Security systems have also received a technological face-lift, with many models not only sounding an alarm in case of fire, but also recognizing the time of day and turning on the lights automatically if the fire registers during the night hours. Some systems can even be programmed to override the air conditioning, stopping fresh air from being blown into the fire.

While these are only a few items homeowners can acquire to help make their tech-house a reality, there are many more innovations just beyond the horizon.

Among the most prolific is the realization that people may one day own an actual robotic butler or maid. A number of prototypes are in their developmental stages, with some already being able to manipulate small objects and put them away on shelves and counters.

Analysts believe that no matter how many neat innovations are released in the present, the ultimate "Tech House of the Future" will always be just a few years away.