As government lockdowns and social distancing practices continue, people are spending more time in their dwellings and looking for ways to upgrade their stay-at-home lives. Devices such as smart doorbells, smart thermostats, robotic vacuum cleaners and smart displays are gaining in popularity as people look for technologies that can help around the house.

U.S. shipment revenues from smart home technologies are projected to amount to $13.2 billion this year and will reach $16.4 billion by 2024, according to the CTA Industry Sector Forecast: Smart Home 2019-2024 released by the Consumer Technology Association (CTA)®. Smart home platforms are continuing to make it simpler to add connected devices to the home, and manufacturers are diving into more niche use cases, such as automatic pet doors, smart shelving and more.

CTA member companies are providing innovative solutions for consumers looking to expand their smart home network during home-only times.

• PantryOn has created a solution for monitoring grocery items at home and automatically building a shopping list. Using smart shelves and a mobile app, PantryOn provides convenience and cuts down on food waste.
• Home security company Wyze has a versatile smart product lineup that included cameras, locks and light bulbs. To upgrade the home office experience during the COVID-19 pandemic, the company developed new firmware to convert the Wyze Cam into a webcam for sharper video and wider-angle viewing.
• Watergen’s Genny provides clean, safe water at home by using humidity in the air to create clean and fresh drinking water. With no plumbing, refills or infrastructure necessary, the small water-from-air generator provides up to 30 liters of water per day.

Genny won a 2020 Mark of Excellence Award for Energy Efficiency Product of the Year. The Mark of Excellence Awards, presented by the Smart Home Division of CTA, recognize the best in custom integration and installed technology. Submissions are now open for the 2021 Mark of Excellence Awards.