Smart countertops

Smart countertops will become one of our everyday appliances in the near future, given the exponential development of new technologies in the field of housing. The primary innovation which natural stone countertops open up, as a broad field for development, would be their interconnectivity with mobile devices. This idea is included in the concept of “the Internet of things” (original term in English, Internet of Things, IoT). This refers to the networking of everyday objects, which will be equipped with digital devices to connect to the Internet and interact with the end-user.
Currently we are working on the idea of turning the countertop into an interactive, touch-screen which can be controlled by voice display. This would offer the ability to read emails and reply from the counter itself, share statements and news on social networks in real time as well as interacting with other users via videoconference. Furthermore, projecting videos or displaying information on the counter, such as recipes, cooking times, temperatures, recommendations for combinations, presentation tips for the dishes, etc. becomes a possibility. There would also be the ability to play custom music playlists by networking the counter with sound system housing.

Connections with other appliances would be another interesting development possibility offered by this technology. Available ingredients could be identified from the counter to the refrigerator for the preparation of a recipe or for making an online purchase required to perform the same.

Another powerful tool that could be offered from the smart natural stone countertop and through the existing progress in this regard would be the integration of a wireless charger system into it. This technology would offer the possibility of charging mobile devices by contacting these onto the counter itself.

As there is a broad field of development for natural stone countertops as well as opportunities through integration with new information technologies these can offer innovative features adapted to a new style of global life in which objects are interconnected with digital networks and people.