A mock up of how Daniel McGrane's SmartBell would be used in practice (via Daniel McGrane)
23 year-old student, Daniel McGrane had created a concept that allows the truly lazy to become even lazier. In a society obsessed with making life easier via 'smart' technology, it seems that answering the doorbell is no exception. McGrane's concept won the #GetItDownOnPaper competition sponsored by Sharp, a leader in 'smart' electronic home goods.
The SmartBell is McGrane's innovative technology that allows users to answer the bell with their smartphones. The concept also allows users to see who is at the door via a camera, speak to the person at the door, and initiate a pre-recorded message when they don't want to be disturbed. McGrane told CNN that he was inspired to create a SmartBell by being annoyed when his parents would ask him to answer the door. Instead of exercising a marginal amount of will power to get off the sofa and walk towards the door, McGrane decided to make an app that could do it for him.
This SmartBell is not the first concept of its kind, however it seems to be backed by more promising circumstances than the previous DoorBot. McGrane has also landed himself a paid internship at Sharp due to his innovation. An exciting chapter in McGrane's life, surely, which may spark new innovations in home goods. There always seems to be ample room in the marketplace for unnecessary 'smart' gadgets. I guess there is always someone with ready cash, willing to pay a fortune for convenience.
SmartBell is still a concept at this point, but Sharp seems to be backing the project and it could hit the market soon enough. The SmartBell seems to be geared at ensuring you don't miss a delivery by enabling users to give the postman delivery instructions from their work, vacation, and more. I used to use the neighbor system to do the same thing, but technocratic society doesn't seem to allow for that anymore. To stay updated on this project and more, check out Sharp's blog: www.humansinvent.com.
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