AI-powered home appliances: Get ready for a washing machine that dry cleans, a touch-activated fridge and an air-con that plays music
These are just some of the innovative solutions that home appliance company Midea recently unveiled at its 15th Anniversary celebration and may soon be available to us
Smart home appliances have been a part of our home life for a long time now – we can turn on lights by speaking to our smartphone and entrust cleaning duties to a robot vacuum cleaner.
Thanks to Artificial Intelligence (AI), you can soon expect your lights, vacuum cleaner and coffee machine to be fully automated and working around your daily schedule and habits.
Midea Group is one of the forerunners in this space of offering innovative home appliances. The company, which recently celebrated its 15th anniversary, gave guests a sneak peek at three of its new AI-powered home appliances – a washing machine that dry cleans, an all-in-one air-con, plus a touch-activated fridge.
These innovative, convenience-focused solutions embody the company’s brand passion to help customers “live smartly and simply”.
“Smart living revolves around putting users at the centre and addressing their pain points. Simple living is achieved by meeting users' needs and enabling multiple functions simultaneously through quick buttons or mobile apps,” explains Mr Henry Huang, general manager of Midea Singapore Company.
Here are the three products that are getting us excited about the future of AI in our homes.
The Midea AIR 5D Space Station Air System can purify your home in approximately 20 minutes. PHOTO: MIDEA GROUP
An air-con that’s also a dehumidifier, humidifier, air purifier, fan – and music player
Forget about having multiple devices to keep the air in your home clean. The Midea AIR 5D Space Station Air System is designed to be a comprehensive air management system that combines the functions of a dehumidifier, humidifier, air conditioner, fan and an air purifier.
“It can purify a home 20 to 25 sq m big in just 20 minutes, removing up to 95.5 per cent of fine particles that may be hazardous to health,” notes Mr Huang.
Keep track of the air quality in your home through a full-colour 10.1 inch screen or the M Smart Home app on your phone. The system also comes with a Microclimate Sensory Model mode that will customise your preferred air settings by making adjustments in temperature, humidity, cleanliness and airflow.
Ready to escape Singapore’s sweltering heat? Choose the Scene Experience Mode and experience the climates in Vancouver, Miami, Vienna, Melbourne, and Hawaii. Mr Huang says these cities were chosen as they topped the Global Liveable Cities 2022 index.
Like all AI-powered tech, The Space Station can be controlled through a mobile app and voice commands, providing users with convenient access to its features. You can even play music on it and find out about the weather.
The control options cater to both Chinese and English speakers and even supports regional dialects like Sichuanese and Cantonese, allowing users to interact with the space station in their preferred language.
A washing machine that dry cleans your clothes and also has a hidden robot vacuum
The new Midea WashBot isn’t just a washing machine, it also comes with an built-in robot cleaner that can keep your floors spic and span as the washing machine manages your laundry for you.
No complex installations are required either. Simply plug in the power cord, connect the inlet hose, and attach the drain hose for water supply and drainage. Its AI-powered technology for dry cleaning takes the guesswork out of caring for delicate fabrics by utilising nano-soft vapour to penetrate clothing fibres, leaving them dust mite-free, smooth and refreshed. Have expensive silk or wool garments to manage? A low, gentle drying technology at 42 degrees will keep them in pristine condition.
The robot cleaner in the meantime, will automatically map areas within your home to be cleaned and will mop or sweep the areas depending on the mode you choose. Once it is done, it returns to the docking station to be automatically cleaned and disinfected and charged before its next use – no effort required on your part.
An easy tap-to-open fridge door that is also generous in space
Ever struggled to pry open fridge doors when your hands are full of dishes or dirty from cooking prep? Enter the handle-free Toshiba Fridge 631. Its AI-powered patented iTouch door can be effortlessly opened with a gentle tap, even through clothing – a simple yet thoughtful feature that will make cooking prep time all the more enjoyable.
For those who like a fully-stocked kitchen, this fridge also offers plenty of storage space while maintaining a compact exterior, thanks to the use of a slim, military-grade insulation material that offers up to ten times the insulation of foam used in a regular fridge.
The Toshiba Fridge 631 series will be available for sale from the third quarter of 2023, while the Midea Air 5D Space Station and WashBot will be available at a later date. Tech enthusiasts can check out all the appliances on display at the new Midea 160 sq m showroom at New Tech Park.
Besides showcasing the latest Midea innovations, Mr Huang says the showroom will also offer customer support services, handle repairs and replacements and conduct their administrative operations.
“More importantly, it is where you can discover all the essentials needed to curate a home that truly reflects your unique style,” he adds.
For more information visit Midea’s official website or their showroom at New Tech Park, 151 Lorong Chuan, #04-05, Singapore 556741.