Artificial intelligence today invades any aspect of technologies that until very few years ago had never been related to it. There is no manufacturer that prides itself on attending the IFA fair in Berlin, the most important consumer electronics show in Europe, without AI being present among the functions of its devices, a way to optimally automate multiple functions without the user having to learn new things every time they purchase a device. To do this, in most cases, algorithms need to be able to analyze in some detail what they have before them. The solution is cameras, which are beginning to be present in practically all types of devices. Eyes for AI.
How can a washing machine know the color and fabric of the clothes in the drum? With a camera inside, of course. This allows you to automatically define the most suitable program for washing. It is a functionality that will be appreciated by those who have suffered the experience of deteriorating some of their clothes due to not correctly choosing the temperature, the washing program or whether the spin cycle is appropriate.
The cameras are present to know what foods we have placed in the oven and suggest the most appropriate cooking program to the user. For example, to roast a chicken. The camera detects the product and the AI is responsible for deciding the temperature, time and method of cooking or whether it needs steam or not, one of the trends of recent years among appliance manufacturers.
There are obvious things about the presence of cameras to help the user, but others are not so obvious. We go to the supermarket and we don't remember if we have a certain product. From the mobile application we only need to ask the manufacturer's app if we have it in the refrigerator. At a glance, the AI responds, thanks to its camera, if the food is in the refrigerator and how long it has been stored, in case it is approaching its recommended expiration date and you have to consider the possibility of replacing it.
The most sophisticated AI features are in the premium models. Haier's ID Ultimate Series 6 oven, for example, uses its camera so that artificial intelligence not only detects what food is cooking and what is the most appropriate setting to prepare it, but also constantly monitors the evolution of cooking to stop it at the most appropriate moment. The user can also follow the images from a mobile app. Goodbye (supposedly) to charred food.
One of the products that best demonstrates how to take AI further in home appliances is Miele's G8 Diamond dishwasher. The internal camera inside allows artificial intelligence to make crucial decisions about washing. First, analyze the degree of occupancy inside. If it detects the presence of pots and pans, it increases the intensity of the wash. If there are plastic materials, schedule a special drying. The images are what mark the decisions that the machine makes.
In this edition of IFA, the AI functions presented by manufacturers are beginning to become increasingly sophisticated. If until now everything was based on instantaneous vision for decision making, now they can also do analysis based on past records. Samsung's Bespoke AI Family Hub refrigerator, which uses these technologies to recognize food that is inserted or removed from its interior, maintains a complete inventory to track product expiration dates and even offer recipe recommendations.
One of the companies that has presented the most new products at IFA is Dyson, among which the CameraJet electric toothbrush stands out for its originality, a product that it has developed over the last six years. This also has a camera with a 100,000 pixel macro lens with light. Its artificial intelligence system analyzes 28 images per second during brushing. It detects interdental spaces in a tenth of a second and has a jet of mouthwash that is directed to the appropriate space at all times to clean it as if it were dental floss.
This feature may seem strange or difficult to market. Nothing of the sort. It has just been launched. It costs 479 euros and is already sold out for purchase.
