The Android/IoS software links to a weather forecast service to offer advice that can help reduce our carbon footprint.
A manufacturer of home appliances has released a mobile app that prompts users to adjust the settings of their air conditioner or air purifier based on weather readings such as air quality, humidity, pollution/pollen levels and temperature.
Users of home appliances such as clothes dryers can also receive timely advice on when to use air drying instead, if the outdoor weather is more suitable. Presumably, if the home appliance has IoT connectivity to the app, some of the settings may be controlled remotely or automatically via the software.
The lifestyle app is intended to help consumers of the manufacturer’s connected products to enjoy recommendations tailored specifically and uniquely to where they live. In this way, environmentally-conscious consumers can also save energy and make better sustainable decisions.
How it works
According to a consumer insight study commissioned by the manufacturer, weather and climate changes have been shown to play a big role in the usage of household appliances in certain parts of the world. For the Asia-Pacific and Middle-East and Africa region, higher levels of air pollution, heat and humidity are common, which can affect how home appliances should be used for optimal energy saving.
With a link to a global weather data service via an application programming interface, the app’s hyper-localized weather data will allow consumers to have the option to make smarter decisions in their households and lessen their impact on the environment.
The weather data service uses a ‘Global High-Resolution Atmospheric Forecasting’ system that is AI-enabled to analyze various types of weather data to arrive at the most accurate forecasts for users, with oversight from an expert team of meteorologists. The machine learning function rapidly updates atmospheric changes hourly and at a resolution of three kilometers. This supposedly provides consumers with unprecedented clarity of weather activity around the globe.
The Electrolux Life App is currently accessible on Android and iOS in Australia & New Zealand, South-east Asia and North-east Asia, excluding China. Supported languages include English, Thai, Vietnamese, Traditional Chinese, Bahasa Indonesia and Korean.
To date, there have been more than 50,000 downloads in APAC. The weather data will be introduced incrementally as new connected appliances by the manufacturer are added to the app.
Said Gaurav Julka, Senior Manager for Connectivity (APAC & MEA), Electrolux, the appliance manufacturer: “Through extensive consumer-focused workshops with The Weather Company, we found simple technology integrations that best help us live out our Better Living promise to consumers. Having cutting-edge weather insights means that consumers will enjoy recommendations about their connected appliances tailored specifically and uniquely to where they live. In this way, we also help environmentally-conscious consumers to save energy and make better sustainable decisions.”