Disney's 'Smart House' came out in 1999 - here are all the technologies from the movie that we're actually using two decades later

Advertisement
Disney's 'Smart House' came out in 1999 - here are all the technologies from the movie that we're actually using two decades later

Smart House movie

Disney

Advertisement

The Disney Channel original movie "Smart House," about a family that moves into a "house of the future" run by a built-in virtual assistant named Pat, was way ahead of its time.

When it came out almost two decades ago, the world was still trying to figure out how to address the Y2K bug, and people had few of the technologies in their houses that we use today. There were no smart devices (let alone smartphones), dial-up modems were the norm, and candy-colored Apple desktop computers were all the rage.

The fictitious "Smart House" was a little far-fetched, sure, but it did get some things right.

Here are the technologies from the 1999 movie "Smart House" that we have now, almost 20 years later:

{{}}

An AI-powered smart assistant that learns more about its owners over time.

An AI-powered smart assistant that learns more about its owners over time.

Pat also pricked your finger to learn your entire medical history and figured out your diet based on your breath, so she knew a little too much.

A voice-powered smart assistant you can rely on to delegate tasks.

A voice-powered smart assistant you can rely on to delegate tasks.

This is the overarching similarity, of course. Pat, voiced by Katey Segal, is a smart assistant like Alexa or Google Home. A notable difference is that the house in the movie is run by a control room and a circuit board instead of a speaker or system of speakers.

Advertisement

Voice commands for home temperature control.

Voice commands for home temperature control.

When asked "Pat, what's the current temperature, please?" Pat responded, "Climate control on target at 72.5 degrees."

Asking an intercom system to relay messages around the house for you.

Asking an intercom system to relay messages around the house for you.

Both Google Home and Amazon Echo devices have the ability to broadcast your voice to any of the other smart-speakers connected in your house (except for the Echo or Home you're using to make the command).

Advertisement

Making random selections and decisions based on your requests.

Making random selections and decisions based on your requests.

Pat shuffles through the contestants to choose a winner for the house similar to the way today's smart assistants can be asked to make decisions: by flipping a coin, rolling dice, playing rock paper scissors, randomly choosing a number, and so on.

Smart-home devices can send messages to your contacts without needing to pick up a device.

Smart-home devices can send messages to your contacts without needing to pick up a device.
Advertisement

Smart devices can turn your lights on and off — or even dim, or turn on colored lighting — without making you get up, using just your voice.

Smart devices can turn your lights on and off — or even dim, or turn on colored lighting — without making you get up, using just your voice.

Smart-home devices can also play music based on the mood you ask for.

Smart-home devices can also play music based on the mood you ask for.
Advertisement

Today's smart homes can create personalized alarms to wake you up.

Today's smart homes can create personalized alarms to wake you up.

Your smart devices can even make sure your coffee is ready when you are.

Your smart devices can even make sure your coffee is ready when you are.
Advertisement

Like "Smart House," smart homes can even keep your pet occupied while you're busy.

Like "Smart House," smart homes can even keep your pet occupied while you're busy.

Today's PetTech includes automatic feeders, automated fetch for your dog, laser pointers for your cat, and even treadmills or exercise wheels.

Of course, we can make video calls at home now.

Of course, we can make video calls at home now.
Advertisement

And there are plenty of motion-controlled video games with full-body interactivity.

And there are plenty of motion-controlled video games with full-body interactivity.

When you're playing sports on a Wii console, there's not a physical ball that disappears into a wall and appears on the other side, though. Because that's magic.

"Smart House" even had a wall that doubled as a TV. Samsung this year introduced a similar product, called "The Wall," at the 2018 Consumer Electronics Show.

"Smart House" even had a wall that doubled as a TV. Samsung this year introduced a similar product, called "The Wall," at the 2018 Consumer Electronics Show.
Advertisement

Today's smart homes can clean your floors without making you lift a finger.

Today's smart homes can clean your floors without making you lift a finger.

Our floors might not absorb liquids (or solids), but connected robot vacuum cleaners can take care of crumbs and dust.

"Smart House" also correctly predicted automatic locks on your doors for safety.

"Smart House" also correctly predicted automatic locks on your doors for safety.

These days, though, the locks are controlled by you, and (spoiler alert) not to hold you hostage the way hologram Pat did before she realized that not being human meant she could never be the Cooper kids' mother.

Advertisement

"Smart House" could do a lot of things that our houses still can't do — and will probably never be able to do — but it's fun to realize the ways in which one decade's fiction can turn into another decade's reality.

"Smart House" could do a lot of things that our houses still can't do — and will probably never be able to do — but it's fun to realize the ways in which one decade's fiction can turn into another decade's reality.
Next StoryTech experts talk about what makes virtual reality so promising for making movies and TV