IKEA is often criticized for lacking soul but, love it or hate it, the company’s design aesthetic is a staple of modern homes and offices around the world. And the company wants things to stay that way as it looks to new technologies and the future of “Smart Homes” and connected appliances.
Meet the future table: IKEA’s wet dream of how smart technology and sleek design will transform our houses in the near future. The table will be the hub of your kitchen, and apparently your social life as well, having a bunch of features integrated into it. From ceiling projectors and smartphone charging, to inductive cooking, social networks, games and apps, the future table aims to be a true technical hub.
In IKEA’s concept video you can see the table use the overhead projector to display information relevant to whatever you’re doing on it. Whether you’re trying to cook dinner, learning how to chop fruit, playing with your kids, or simply enjoying your morning coffee, the table will adapt and turn on different functions depending on your needs.
The table is part of IKEA’s Kitchen 2025 concepts, and sits alongside a range of projects such as better water management, food storage options, and other improvements to our daily lives made possible by technology and design.
While the concept video definitely makes the future look cool, we can’t help but think that mixing inductive charging, with cooking food, and kids’ games all on the same surface is bound to lead to negative results.
Then again, IKEA is already launching new furniture with integrated wireless charging so it looks like the company has already made the first step towards their FutureTable™.
Source and Images: Concept Kitchen 2025 via: Engadget