Chips, cameras and WiFi: Samsung adds Bespoke AI to washing machines, ACs, microwaves and more

Samsung has introduced its new range of Bespoke AI appliances that have AI features and are powered by the Tizen operating system.

After Samsung smartphones, home appliances like washing machines, ACs, refrigerators and microwaves will get Tizen-based software updates. (Debashis Sarkar)

Samsung's next big step in the AI race is to add chips, cameras and WiFi connectivity to home appliances like washing machines, microwaves, refrigerators, air conditioners and more. Samsung has introduced its new range of appliances that are powered by AI and is calling this initiative the Bespoke AI platform which is powered by its own Tizen operating system. 

After smartphones, home appliances will now get software updates. The AI training data set as well as the AI features are tuned for Indian use cases, thanks to the efforts of the R&D team in Bengaluru at Samsung Research Institute. So, what will AI exactly do in otherwise dumb appliances like a washing machine or microwave? 

For starters, the connected Samsung washing machine with Bespoke AI features can automatically decode whether your clothes are made of cotton, wool or silk. Accordingly, the washing machine will tune the wash cycle, water temperature, spin cycles, water level and more.

In microwaves, Bespoke AI will enable users to cook recipes without having the user understand temperature and time requirements. With AI, Samsung Bespoke refrigerators can alert whether the food inside is already spoiled or what should be the ideal temperature to increase the shelf life of the food. Yes, there will be cameras inside fridges. AI-powered ACs will exactly tell what's wrong with it and what part needs to be replaced during servicing. 

Bespoke AI connects and helps users control appliances through the SmartThings apps. Samsung claims that AI features will also help increase the longevity of these appliances, with users getting notified when their refrigerator is due for water filter replacement or the air conditioner needs a filter change through the SmartThings App. With the introduction of AI, Samsung aims to reduce the time required to manage these appliances. 

“We are introducing Bespoke AI, our next big innovation in home appliances which will ensure smarter living for Indian homes and reduce energy consumption. With our Bespoke AI-powered home appliances, consumers will be able to customise their choices, get easy controls for elders and kids, and get seamless diagnosis for their home appliances,” said JB Park, President & CEO, Samsung Southwest Asia.

Samsung Bespoke AI to add premium features

“With AI appliances, our objective is to further strengthen our premium portfolio and increase our share in the premium appliances segment,” said Saurabh Baishakhia, Senior Director, Digital Appliances, Samsung India.

The refrigerator comes with an AI vision camera that helps in automatic food recognition of up to 33 food items initially. The number of items that can be identified will increase over time depending on the storage done by the user over time. The refrigerator, through its screens, suggests what to cook for lunch or dinner, based on the food items stored.

With a smart food management system, users can know when a specific food item in the refrigerator is about to expire. Furthermore, an enhanced single camera allows a wider view in different lighting conditions. With wider coverage, not only refrigerator shelves but door bins are also captured creating a “View Inside” of the refrigerator from anywhere, anytime.

With the “Welcome Cooling” function for Air Conditioners, users can cool their home even from a distant location. AI Geo-fencing allows users to set commands and the SmartThings application will send you a notification to start or turn off your appliances when you are within a specified range or moving away from the range. The specified range is between 150 meters to 30 kilometers.

For microwaves, Bespoke AI helps automatically customize the recipe to a ‘low fat' version.

With AI Control, Samsung's new Front Load Washing Machine learns laundry routines over time and evolves its wash cycles to suit users' habits. It automatically adjusts to the most used wash settings, unless manually changed to another customised wash cycle. Further, the

AI Wash feature senses the weight of the load, the kind of fabrics involved and their softness, water level, soiling level, and detergent level to create a custom wash recipe.

Samsung will also use AI to reduce power bills. “With an optimized energy-saving method using an AI algorithm based on usage patterns, AI Energy Mode can give up to 10% energy savings in refrigerators, up to 20% in Air conditioners and up to 70% in washing machines,” said Samsung.

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