Design company Artefact has a simple sounding blurb for the Serenity home automation system-- “a home OS with a heart, that allow the user to toggle through a range of home controls and automation.”
Currently more of a set of renders than an actual product (despite being a Red Dot and BraunPrize 2012 award winner), Serenity involves a network of e-ink tablets providing updates on various systems connected to an automation platform.
Sensors in the home would provide feedback from connected systems (lighting, audio, temperature, security), while the e-ink tablets display all controls and information in an attractive, if not artistic, manner.
Graphics include swaying plants (with leaves falling should one be over-consuming) and stylised control visuals, all in the name of creating an emotional connection between user and home.
Artefact calls it "consumptive awareness." The company also says "[the system] grows, adapts and changes over time through behavior, awareness, and preference," making it sound very similar to newer "learning" automation devices such as the Nest thermostat.
So far Serenity is only a concept-- but the ideas behind sound both very interesting and full of potential. One to file under "keep a closer eye on."
