Heard of the “internet of things”? If not, basically the internet of things are items and objects controlled via the use of the internet. For example, we now have light bulbs that can be operated via an app on your smartphone, smart thermostats like the one from Nest which you can control from your phone. We also have smart TV’s, fridges that have Wi-Fi connection, smart house alarms and many other internet connected items. If you’re into your gadgets and have a bit of spare cash to burn, you could have a very connected home indeed. But could the technology ever make the jump into the mainstream window and door market?

Finding A Use

I guess the first hurdle the technology would have to tackle would be to find a genuinely useful reason for windows and door to have connection to the internet. In other words, windows and doors would have to have a nifty function people would find useful and be bothered enough to pay for it.

So lets put some ideas out there. Smart windows could be made with a function that with the click of a button on a smartphone app, the window could safely and securely enter into the night vent position if the homeowner has left the home but still wants to to be ventilated while they are out. Or, another use could be a locking monitoring system for doors that allows you to lock/unlock a door or even window lock, with the added ability to check if the door or window is locked. No more wondering about if you locked the door or not!

Those are just a couple of ideas, but two examples of how smart technology could provide some useful little operations which could solve those niggly issues homeowners sometimes have with their windows and doors.

More Examples

Take a look at some of the other internet connected products:

From cooking, to garage doors to house alarms, dozens of household products are very quickly becoming internet enabled. How long until we see internet enabled windows and doors?

All comments and of course ideas for smart windows and doors welcome in the section below!