Smart Fridge: Similar Interfaces

So there are some concepts for smart/internet fridges out there to get me started on ideas, each having their strong and weak points.

SMART FRIDGE – Yanko Design

 

I really like how this design uses a full door touch interface concept and how it utilizes and opaque to clear glass transition. The down side is that this design would eliminate the door storage, but is that worth it? The freezer also seems a bit large on this concept. Something I’ve seen pretty consistently is that many smart fridge concepts allow the user to use the interface for cooking instructions, which wasn’t one of my initial concerns but is something that I think I can mindfully incorporate.

BIL-LIVE FRIDGE – Yanko Design

 

This fridge design has more to do with functionality than interface I realize. It seems to also use the opaque-to-clear glass transitions and uses rotating shelves to have full access to the fridge contents. At my house if it’s in the back, it’s lost forever. This could potentially be a helpful system, but I can see the weakness in limiting total fridge usage space, it doesn’t seem like realistically it would work as well. Also the description says that the doors would have display screens, but that they would do a lot of menial functions not necessarily directly related to function of a fridge or kitchen.

LG SMART REFRIGERATOR

This one seems the closest to my original vision features-wise (even if the design is terrible). I think that the small screen in the doors is under-utilizing the available space, but the fridge-to-phone app is a great touch and one that I was thinking I could incorporate into my own interface concept.

The LG Smart Refrigerator is part of a larger concept LG has put together called LG Smart Home. This is the description the website for LG Smart Home gave: This refrigerator has an LCD display and a Smart Manager feature which lets you keep record of stored food along with their expiration dates. This information can be transmitted to your phone for an instant grocery list or, using the LG Smart Shopping, supplies can be automatically ordered. This Smart Refrigerator will also recommend recipes and menus based upon its contents and your programmed preferences. A personalized meal plan can be programmed using the Health Manager feature. Simply enter personal information such as age, weight and BMI and it will provide recipes, daily and weekly menu plans. The Smart refrigerator LCD display can also be used as a news reader, photo album, calendar or memo pad. It can also display helpful instructional videos to accompany recommended recipes. Like all LG Smart appliances it can perform a self-diagnosis, which will call in to the service center and tell them what is wrong with it. The service center will respond either with an updated program or schedule a service technician.