LG eclipses rivals with “talking” appliances

With the smart HomeChat™ service, you can now “instruct” and receive updates from your fridge, microwave or washing machine

Talk to you appliances through LG HomeChat service.

One would think only a significant leap into the future would yield smart appliances that “chat.” LG Electronics seems to have leaped light years into the future and recently announced the launch of appliances with revolutionary HomeChat™ messaging service in South Korea.

The interactive new feature employs Natural Language Processing (NLP) and LINE, the popular mobile messenger app with over 300 million users, to let homeowners communicate, control, monitor and share content with LG’s latest smart appliances.

This is not the first time the electronic manufacturer is attempting to stretch the limits in enhancing the interactivity of its products with end users, the development of the Werniche Project has seen LG make quick progress in incorporating voice commands. Known as VoiceMate, LG's voice recognition technology has only recently entered the international stage.

Electronics manufacturers have for some time been toying with voice commands to make consumer's lives easier. Siri, the voice-activated personal assistant built into the iPhone, was at one time the most prominent example of a mobile voice interface. But voice functionality is built into Android, the Windows Phone platform, and most other mobile systems, as well as many apps.

Voice-command interfaces are now almost pervasive in most electronic devices, from mobile phones, TVs, even automobiles. The concept of holding a conversation with a computer seemed pure science fiction until recently. “Our unyielding quest is to make our smart appliances sophisticated,” Taeick Son, Managing Director LG East Africa.

LGs premium smart appliance lineup includes a camera-equipped refrigerator, a washing machine that allows users to start and download washing cycles remotely via HomeChat™ and a Lightwave oven that supports NFC and WiFi for convenient control from any location.

LG HomeChat™ incorporates the popular LINE application to allow users to receive recommendations and control settings when away from home. “With an intuitive interface, HomeChat™ makes communicating with LG’s smart refrigerator, washing machine or oven much like chatting with a close friend,” says Mr Kim. 

For extra convenience, the Quick Button feature enables fast and easy access to each appliance’s most commonly used functions. HomeChat™ also gives users the choice of three different modes: Vacation, Away and Return-home. LG’s new service even brings an element of fun to appliances, offering a selection of over 40 unique LINE stickers to add an enjoyable, personal component to conversations.

“Today’s intelligent home appliances offer a variety of useful functions but many consumers still find setting them up an extremely complicated process.” said Seong-jin Jo, president and CEO of the LG Electronics Home Appliance Company. “Not only does LG HomeChat help simplify and enhance our products, they also deliver a unique user experience, adding even more value to our customers’ lives.”

The smart refrigerator incorporates several breakthrough innovations, such as the Smart View feature. Using the industry’s first built-in internal refrigerator camera positioned at the top of the main compartment, users can monitor exactly what’s inside their refrigerator on their smartphones or tablets.

The Smart Manager’s Freshness Tracker makes it possible to input a wide range of foods and beverages to keep track of expiration dates. The fridge also has a unique Health Manager can make recipe recommendations as well as daily and weekly meal plans based on the user’s personal profile. Age, sex, weight and height information are used to determine body mass index (BMI), which is then used to create an appropriate, personalized meal plan.

This is a clear indicator the pace of technological advancement and increasing sophistication. A growing number of people now talk to their mobile smart phones, asking them to send e-mail and text messages, search for directions, or find information on the Web.

In addition the new wave of interconnected smart appliances such as the Smart Refrigerator and HOM-BOT also have built-in smart technology which are able to be operated via voice commands or programmed remotely allowing users who cannot physically operate these devices to effectively engage with the technology.

Voice-command interfaces are now almost pervasive in most electronic devices, from mobile phones, TVs, even automobiles. The concept of holding a conversation with an appliance seemed pure science fiction, not anymore. 

You can now sit back as a robot cleans your house

Professionals are spreading themselves too thin trying to fit multiple chores into an already overstretched schedule.  But electronics manufacturers are rapidly innovating to stand in the gap and make customers’ lives convenient.  An ever growing middle class living fast paced life is propelling demand for smart and sometimes robotic home appliances that self-operate to claw back on time.

LG Hom-Bot Square Vacuum Cleaner

This demand is compelling electronics manufactures to continuously innovate and keep up with emerging needs. The trend has ignited a race by manufacturers to increase their range of ‘intelligent’ product portfolio in the home appliances category. Consumers are now increasingly keen on establishing appliance’s ability to minimise on effort and save time before purchase.

The demand has seen LG Electronics introduce a new smart robotic vacuum machine dubbed Hom-Bot. The robot vacuum cleaner sets itself apart from its rivals by offering a choice of customisable cleaning modes that give you control of the cleaning process.

For Kenyan professionals who often have to juggle competing tasks; the Hom-Bot comes in handy in reclaiming your time.

“You can set it and go on about your business, letting it run automatically on the default settings, say Moses Marji, the LG East Africa Marketing General Manager. Hom-Bot Square cleans effectively and efficiently, which is comprises two long brushes, Corner Detecting Sensors and the cleaner’s unique shape.

With its more angular form and newly designed brushes that have been lengthened by 1.5cm, the robot can remove dust and dirt from the tightest of corners.

The Corner Detecting Sensors enable the smart cleaner to pinpoint its exact location in the home, telling it when to turn or if it has reached the edge of a room.  Besides doing a decent job cleaning your home, the innovation has eclipsed LG’s potential competitor, the Roomba.

Besides cleaning corners more effectively than its rivals, the Hom-Bot has two sweeping brush while the Roomba has two. The Roomba brags of one primary cleaning mode while the Hom-Bot packs two, plus five additional modes.

Robotic cleaners typically have only one camera. The advanced Hom-Bot Square uses two improved Dual Eye 2.0 cameras to plot out a smarter, faster and more efficient cleaning route.

Taking several images per second, the upper and lower cameras effectively scan ceilings, walls and floors, even in the dark.  This information is then analyzed by Hom-Bot Square generate smarter mapping. At the same time, multiple sensors detect all obstacles within a 180 degree field, taking a myriad of surface images for collision-free operation.

The Hom-Bot Square also features a Learning Function which enables it to recognize areas it has previously cleaned. This helps it to remember the positioning of objects or to sense when an area is already clean, minimising unnecessary repetition. Low noise level means the vacuum can clean when you’re watching TV, talking on the phone or reading. With a height of just 89mm, the unit’s slimmed-down profile enables it to maneuver around the home with ease, even under most furniture.

The LG Hom-Bot Square makes cleaning more convenient because it requires less frequent emptying due to the larger capacity Easy-out Dust Bin.Unlike other robotic vacuum cleaners where the dust bin is located on the side, the Easy-out Dust Bin is positioned at the top of the cleaner for quick and hygienic removal.

The larger and upgraded HEPA 11 filter also enables it to separate dust particles from the air more thoroughly, while also helping eliminate unpleasant odours. Turbo Mode lets users manually adjust the cleaner to best match the characteristics of their flooring and Smart Turbo Mode automatically detects the type of flooring and changes its own settings for best performance.

Users will further enjoy a host of convenient features such as Voice Guidance, which includes over 90 voice alerts as well as Smart Diagnosis that troubleshoots problems more easily. Additionally, the improved battery holds more charge, meaning owners of the LG Hom-Bot Square can enjoy extended periods of worry-free automated cleaning.

LG Electronics unveils latest HVAC

LG Electronics (LG) gave visitors to Chillventa 2014 their first look the company’s latest residential and commercial HVAC products as well as its renewable energy solutions. A biennial, Chillventa is the premier European tradeshow for refrigeration, air conditioning, ventilation and heat pumps.

The LG booth at Chillventa 2014 featured five main sections: Multi V IV Zone, Multi V Zone, Therma V and RAC Zone, Inverter Single and Multi Split Zone and the BMS Zone. There will be live demonstrations of the company’s newest technologies including Multi V IV Heat Recovery, Hydro Kit, Therma V and ARTCOOL Stylist Inverter V. All LG products on display at this year’s Chillventa are energy efficient, eco-friendly and offer incredible installation flexibility.

“Already one of the world’s largest providers of HVAC and energy solutions, LG’s presence is becoming increasingly visible in markets throughout Europe,” said Jae-sung Lee, president of the LG Air Conditioning and Energy Solution Company’s commercial unit. “Chillventa provides us with a fantastic opportunity to showcase our excellent HVAC solutions, which are designed to raise the bar for energy efficiency and deliver the eco-friendly results that are so important to LG and our European customers.”

At Chillventa 2014, LG demonstrated energy efficient heating technologies such as its Multi V IV Heat Recovery of Variable Refrigerant Flow (VRF) solution, ideal for commercial buildings such as hotels, hospitals and offices. A central component in LG’s lineup, Multi V IV Heat Recovery was designed to allow simultaneous heating and cooling in different building zones. 

Though capable of running these two very different functions at the same time, this system is able to save energy even when both functions are in use. For example, with the heating and cooling operation rates at 60 and 40 percent respectively, the LG Multi V IV Heat Recovery system achieves an impressively high coefficient of performance (COP) of up to 8.5, resulting in a maximum energy savings of 30 percent over conventional systems.

Multi V IV Heat Recovery can help meet the hot water needs of medium to large sized buildings when combined with LG’s Hydro Kit water heating solution. Working in tandem to minimize energy consumption, this combination can rapidly heat water to a maximum temperature of 80 degrees Celsius. The Multi V IV Heat Recovery solution generates powerful heating airflow and helps the Hydro Kit perform its floor and water heating duties at the same time. In keeping with LG’s green vision, these systems produce a minimal amount of CO2 emissions and lower energy costs by recycling heat from all connected indoor units.

Optimally suited for new or recently renovated houses, LG’s Therma V offers a reliable supply of hot water, effective floor heating and optimum flexibility. The main strength of Therma V is its ability to deliver superb energy efficiency without sacrificing performance. Weather Dependent Operation Mode automatically adjusts the indoor temperature in response to changes in outside temperature in order to provide optimal comfort and convenience. What’s more, this system’s Silent Mode lowers operational noise at night or whenever a quieter environment is desired.

The elegant ARTCOOL Stylist Inverter V will highlight LG’s advanced residential air conditioning showcase at Chillventa 2014. In addition to their beautiful aesthetics, LG’s 2014 residential models are designed with discerning European consumers in mind. Energy-conserving inverter technology, effective health care benefits from technology such as Plasmaster Ionizer Plus and convenience-enhancing smart functions such as Active Energy Control and LG AC Tag On provide customers with unbeatable value.