So what can we expect to see in our homes of the future – will it be wireless routers and robots or a return to green-friendly basics?
Consumer Editor ANDREA THURLBECK reports.


IN 1900, the writer HG Wells looked forward to the start of the century and predicted what it may hold.
At a time when only a few people owned a telephone, Wells predicted that the land would soon be criss-crossed by telephone wires and that, within 100 years, most people would use telephones to shop from home and to hold business meetings.
He also believed much of the countryside would be built on, houses would have central heating and coal fires would become a thing of the past.
All these changes have happened – and many more beyond even his powers to foresee.
And many would argue that the pace of change has accelerated over recent years as technology has moved on at a rapid rate.
Most of our homes are now hi-tech hubs, where we can surf the internet, watch digital television and switch on machines to do dull mundane jobs such as washing up, all at the flick of a switch.
And experts believe that we will see a continuing trend in "smart" homes, fitted with dozens of labour-saving gadgets in the future.
Soon we'll be able to answer the door, run a bath, draw the curtains and switch on the oven without leaving the sofa, with the help of specially-designed computer pads.
And whatever our houses look like in the next 20 years, the chances are that we'll be more aware of eco-issues, while home design will be affected by our changing climate, with hotter summers, colder winters and floods predicted for the UK.
As a result experts believe that new houses will be built with better insulation while old houses will have to have it installed and at the other end of the spectrum, they will also need ways of keeping cool in hot weather.
Architect Clinton Mysleyko, from Mario Minchella Architects, in Cleadon, said that eco-houses – that are energy and resource efficient and boast inventive designs – will become homes of the future.
He said: "There is already a big shift by developers to incorporate eco-friendly designs into projects and this will continue to develop in the future, particularly as there is now legislation in place to incorporate sustainability within new housing design.
"This will include timber frame construction, which is becoming increasingly popular – not only does it do away the need for bricks, that create a lot of CO2 emissions during the manufacture – but it is also a lot quicker to put together, as the timber insulated walls are delivered complete and just need putting together.
"There is also a big development in green roofs – using the roof of a building as a green space has many benefits, especially in urban areas where green spaces can be few and far between. Not only can they dramatically improve the look of the area, there are also many environmental benefits to installing a green roof, including sound-proofing, insulation, improved air and water quality and the creation of a wildlife habitat.
"They can either be low-maintenance roofs with little more than turf and or a few shrubs through to full roof gardens, which you can get on and into.
"I think we will also see greater use of solar panels and wind turbines within new builds, particularly when supply and demand starts to make these options cheaper and within most people's budgets.
"Other environmental designs, such as sensors that automatically turn off the lights in unused rooms – currently used in offices and communal areas within apartment blocks – could be extended to parts of the home.
"We could also see developments in conserving water, with an increase in the amount of rainwater captured within homes, which is then stored in large underground tanks to be used later for washing the car and watering the plants and even grey water tasks such as flushing the toilet."
Many believe overcrowding will also get worse in certain areas, forcing more people into small homes and flats. And with space at a premium, homes will have to be adaptable, with the same rooms used for many purposes.
The technology already exists to build houses with moveable walls which run on tracks to enable the same space to be arranged in different ways for different functions.
Glass technology is also changing – so you could have glass which is clear but turns opaque when you run an electrical current through it, which could be used to close areas off.
Small homes will also need more adaptable furniture, such as convertible sofa-beds and furniture which can be neatly stacked away when not in use.
Meanwhile inside the home, there will be ever-more elaborate home entertainment systems, making staying in as fun as going out. And these too will double up to perform several functions.
For example, a flat screen on your wall could double up as your front door intercom, your computer and be used to watch films.
ntl Telewest's head of TV strategy, Mark Horley, added: "The TV experience in the year 2020 will be completely different to what we have now. It will be totally immersive. The family will no longer be glued to the box, as the walls themselves become the screen."
The telecommunications company recently pulled together a team of forecasters and analysts to pool their views on what we could be seeing in our homes in the year 2020.
The Future Vision Report predicts that in our homes, screens will be everywhere – video tiles will be attached to walls, mirrors and windows – in fact, any flat surface could be used as a viewing device thanks to the latest developments in ultra-thin display technology.
Some of the ways screens could be used in the future include:
* At night, rolling down a window blind could show a live webcam feed of a favourite daytime landscape;
* A digital photo frame will mean that people could video call friends and family displayed in them, just by touching the picture;
* The morning's news could be watched on the back of a packet of cornflakes;
* The internet could be browsed on the cover of a magazine;
* The morning news could be watched on a video tile while taking a shower.
The problem of losing the remote control could also be a thing of the past as controls become integrated within a chair that acts as the hub for the room.
According to the report, DIY could also become a thing of the past as homeowners embrace virtual decorating.
Essentially, the home would act as a blank digital canvas on which the homeowner can hang virtual pictures or change wallpaper at the touch of a button.
And the room's design could even be individual according to who is in it.
Trackable radio frequency chips could detect when different people enter the room and adjust interiors to suit – including wallpaper, sound, lighting, temperature and the positions of screens, virtual windows, pictures and mirrors.
Putting up shelves for books, CDs or DVDs could also be a thing of the past as all media will be stored digitally on the network. A cable will be the digital umbilical cord that connects the family with their entertainment and data, from films and music to video calls.
Meanwhile, Christopher Sanderson, of The Future Laboratory – a national unit of analysts and researchers – agreed that homes of the future will embrace technology that is both state-of-the-art and green-friendly.
Mr Sanderson predicts part of this will be a significant decrease in the amount of water used in the home, with sound wave technology harnessed to replace it for cleaning jobs.
He said: "Water is now known to be a pretty inefficient cleaner – sound waves can clean a lot better, more sensitively and more healthily than water or other cleaning materials."
Contact lens cleaners which use sound waves to shake off dirt are already on the market and the technology is being explored for dishwashers and washing machines.
Mr Sanderson said this could be taken one step further, adding: "In the future, if you're taking a shower, will you take it with water, or with sound waves?"
Although a lot of this may sound quite far-fetched, there is a lot of technology already being used in commercial settings that could be transferred to the home.
Radio Frequency Identification technology (RFID) for example, already used to security tag items in shops, could be extended to food packets, said Mr Sanderson.
Small transmitters fitted in the packaging could transmit information which can be read by fridges or cupboards and then alert the cook when products are about to go off. Fridges could also suggest recipes using the item, possibly paired with other items on its shelves, or suggest complementary items for a shopping list.
Experts agree that robots are likely to start appearing in our homes quite soon, with models ranging from Sony's childlike Qrio and robot pet dog to robotic vacuum cleaners already in development – but most agree these robots are expected to be more functional than lifelike.
They will mostly be small, inbuilt silent little robots sorting out your fridge or opening and closing your blinds than Jeeves the butler-like robots wandering around with dusters!


Welcome to a very different living space

1. DEVELOPMENTS in ultra-thin display technology mean rooms themselves will become screens. Video wallpaper and tiles offer the potential to use entire wall spaces or specific areas to watch films or programmes.
2. The advent of radio frequency identification (RFID) chips – worn or implanted – means personal preferences can be indicated to intelligent gadgets. TV programmes of choice could follow people around the house, into the car or onto portable devices.
3. RFID will also mean a room's interior design can change to suit a person's preferences – colour, lighting, temperature, position of screens, pictures and mirrors – when they enter.
4. A control panel integrated into a piece of furniture will enable us to change a programme or adjust the volume, colour or brightness.
5. Crystal-clear high definition TV services as standard and the introduction of holographic images will put the viewer at the centre of the action.
6. The traditional TV schedule will become a thing of the past, as every broadcast is automatically stored on the network for viewers to access whenever they like.
7. Viewers will be able to decide what happens next in their favourite drama, or cast virtual actors for a particular storyline.
8. Single screens will be able to show two different programmes depending on which angle they are viewed from. Integrated directionally projected sound will also allow viewers hear separate things within the same room.
9. Windows and blinds will be able to show live images from anywhere in the world.
10. Advanced 3D printing – used by designers to produce prototype resin models of plans – will allow instantaneous creation of furniture and other items in the home.
11. We will be able to watch programmes on the back of cereal packets.
12. Additional internet content will be available via the front cover of, or features and adverts within a magazine.



NEWS FOCUS

'They'll ruin our quality of life – to save £2.50 a day'

A decision by Government health watchdogs to deny Alzheimer's patients vital drugs has sparked outrage among patients, carers and campaigners. LISA HODGE looks at the issues and talks to those affected.

ALZHEIMER'S patients and carers have taken to the streets in a march protesting against a decision to deny drugs to dementia sufferers.
The walk comes after National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (Nice) ruled NHS patients with newly diagnosed, mild Alzheimer's disease should not be prescribed the drugs – Aricept, Reminyl and Exelon.
The decision will now be challenged in court after pressure from campaigners outraged by the decision.
In a bid to show their anger, dementia patients and their carers from Sunderland joined more than 200 campaigners to march across Newcastle in protest.
Ernie Thompson, chairman of the Alzheimer's Society's Sunderland branch, said the protest was a bid to build political pressure on the Department of Health not to allow the decision to stand.
He said: "This decision is an insult to people with dementia and their carers. They are being denied the right to a better quality of life, all so Nice can save £2.50 a day.
"This march will hopefully show Nice that we are not willing to accept their decision."
The Alzheimer's Society co-ordinated a number of protest marches across the country calling for doctors to have greater flexibility in prescribing Alzheimer's treatments.
Campaigners have repeatedly argued patients in the early stages of Alzheimer's should also have access to the £2.50-per-day drugs.
Sheelagh Dilworth, manager of the Alzheimer's Society Sunderland, said: "When you compare the cost of these drugs to those really expensive drug used to treat cancer victims, there is a big difference.
"It doesn't even make sense financially. Stopping dementia patients having the drugs at an early stage in the disease simply means they are going to need the other more expensive treatment sooner, so it's not even economically sensible."
Coun Norma Wright works with Washington mental health charity Mind and took part in the protest because she was disappointed at the decision.
She said: "I'm involved in mental health anyway and I'm a councillor for the city so I thought I would take part and show my support because I don't agree with the decision.
"I'm concerned at some of the decisions that are made by Nice.
"I do understand they have to make difficult decisions but I think they need to prioritise. This is an important drug that would improve the quality of life for a lot of people. I can't understand why they are trying to stop them getting it."


Drugs companies push for review of withdrawal decision

THE Government's health watchdog now faces court action over its decision to deny tens of thousands of patients access to the dementia drugs.
Companies involved in the marketing of one of the drugs said they had no option but to seek a judicial review of how Nice reached its conclusions.
Nice rejected an appeal last month over its guidance that states that sufferers with early or late-stage Alzheimer's disease should not have access to Aricept, Reminyl or Exelon.
Another drug, Ebixa (memantine), is only to be used in clinical studies for people with moderately severe to severe Alzheimer's disease.
Today, Eisai, the licence holder of Aricept, and Pfizer, its co-promotion partner, said that Nice had been informed that the companies intended to apply for a judicial review.
The companies said they were calling on Nice to withdraw the current guidance and postpone issuing it to the NHS, which is scheduled for later this month.
They want a transparent explanation of the calculations used to determine cost-effectiveness, and new guidelines using more accurate data.
Dr Paul Hooper, managing director of Eisai, said: "We are deeply concerned about the way that Nice's decision on treatment recommendations for early Alzheimer's disease was reached.
"A judicial review is now the only option remaining to us to ensure that Nice reconsiders how it arrived at such flawed conclusions.
"These flawed conclusions will have a devastating impact on the lives of thousands of people affected by this terrible disease."


'These drugs are essential'

EIGHTY-YEAR-OLD Mary Ray, of Farringdon, Sunderland, cares for her husband, Don, who suffers from Alzheimer's disease.
She says the drugs are vital for people like Don to maintain a good quality of life.
Mrs Ray added: "When my husband became ill a few years ago I would have been devastated if we were denied the drugs needed to treat him.
"These drugs are essential because they delay the effects for longer. Both Don and I are taking part in the protest because we do not agree with the decision by Nice.
"The whole basis of their decision is that the drugs are not cost-effective but it's only £2.50 a day to slow down the effects of this dreadful disease and make the quality of life for sufferers that bit better."