Technology trends 2022

2022 could be the year in which many of the technologies tested in the past few years finally enter the homes and offices of all of us. More and more advanced sensors, IoT connections and more powerful chips make household appliances and electronic devices truly capable of carrying out activities that simplify life, increase the level of comfort and improve well-being. Let’s find out what the 2022 technology trends will be.

Virtual reality increasingly real

2022 could be the year of the XR. Virtual reality and augmented reality will be increasingly present in our lives. The applications are many and no longer limited only to the video game and entertainment sector, where Facebook has launched its Metaverse. Virtual and augmented reality will also be used to work in smart working as if you were in the office, to take care of people at a distance, to create online spaces where you can meet as an alternative to leaving the house. The experience is destined to improve further thanks to the arrival of new devices that will also allow you to feel by touch and smell. Ericsson provided remote workers with VR headsets during the pandemic and is now developing what is called the “internet of senses.” By 2030 it plans to make available virtual experiences that will be indistinguishable from reality.

Smart home and smart appliances

Home automation and smart appliances that can be controlled thanks to voice commands or via smartphone apps represent a growing trend in recent years.
For some time now, connected devices have been developed to be managed remotely and automated in their functions. However, they were not always compatible with different technologies. Some worked only with iOS systems, others with Android.
Now the big companies in the sector, such as Apple, Google, Amazon, Philips and Samsung, have agreed to define and release a single standard called “Matter”. This will allow smart home devices to communicate with each other with maximum compatibility.
Furthermore, home automation applications are increasingly linked to the well-being of the person. For example, the air mattress, thanks to sensors, adapts to the position of the body and inflates or deflates according to the user who prefers a more or less soft bed. The pillow, if it detects that the person is snoring, empties slightly on one side to change position.

Wearable devices for health and fitness

For some years now, fitness devices, such as the Apple Watch and Fitbit, have become very popular, allowing you to track movements and heart rate. During the pandemic, medical tools to monitor the vital signs of patients at a distance also became widespread. Companies are now developing smaller wearables that can gather information on the health of users. This is the case of a new wearable “finger” device: it integrates several sensors that measure, among others, the heartbeat, oxygen saturation, body temperature and can be used to predict certain risk events. The scale also becomes intelligent. In addition to measuring weight, it can capture heart rhythm and nervous activity directly from the sole of the foot, evaluate the composition of other parts of the body, calculating the percentages of visceral fat, muscle and bone mass, as well as the level of water retention. 2022 will be the year of the “Quantified Self” with the possibility of measuring everything that happens to us during the day.

Household robots

Robotics is another fast-growing sector. Soon we may see robot carts able to move around buildings to carry any type of object. Thanks to the sensors, these devices are able to map the environment and are programmable to make deliveries at specific times. They can be used at home as assistants for people with walking difficulties or to perform certain functions in offices and manufacturing plants.
Amazon’s Astro is the evolved version of Alexa. In addition to being able to answer questions and play music, it is equipped with cameras and can move independently.
It can be used to monitor your house in the absence of the owner or to remotely monitor the behaviour of the elderly and children as well.