Internet of Things

Haier's smart home: interconnected, open and customisable

The Chinese multinational confirms its commitment to the energy efficiency of its appliances and those of its Candy and Hoover brands

by Gianni Rusconi

6 September 2024

5' min read

Key points

Connectivity and AI for the environment and quality of life
Washing products
Intelligence in the kitchen between ovens and fridges
Technology becomes a furnishing element

5' min read

In a century of Ifa's history, the Chinese multinational has been present on 40 occasions and at this year's edition it arrives once again with the supremacy of global market share (17%) in the 'large household appliances' category. The new CEO of Haier Europe, Neil Tunstall, opened the stand's doors to the press, renewing the company's more than ambitious goals, emphasising how the brand's positioning in the consumer world is based on a domestic IoT ecosystem that is updated and completed year after year (there are around 8 million registered users of the hOn app, the platform that allows all appliances to be managed, controlled and customised) and a strategic focus on sustainability, which translates into the energy efficiency of its appliances and those of the Candy and Hoover brands.

The vision of the smart home of today and tomorrow obviously finds concrete expression in the use of artificial intelligence on board the appliances and the application of algorithm processing capabilities in combination with the sensors and micro-cameras installed in the machines, which collect and produce data and images to be sent to the cloud and then returned to the user (in the form of notifications and information) via the hOn application. But that's not all. In fact, as Tunstall emphasised, a key role is played by a complete and intelligent energy management system that responds to the rules of the smart grid to optimise the energy requirements of the entire house, also thanks to renewable sources (read solar panels).

The manufacturer's progress is also marked by the transition from the concept of a mere connected product to that of smart living and Internet of Being solutions (Haier's evolved definition of the Internet of Things), and is also certified by the 20 million connected devices sold to date, the 27 different product families (soon to be 35, with the entry of small household appliances) that are part of the ecosystem, and the €550 million of investment earmarked to support activities in Europe.

Connectivity and AI for the environment and quality of life

The hOn Smart Home ecosystem includes, in addition to household appliances, a wide range of consumption management devices, complementary services and accessories for product maintenance, and solutions resulting from international partnerships with players and suppliers in the energy sector such as Edison Energia and in home automation and home security such as SmartDhome and Yale (the list also includes e-mobility specialists such as Free2Move eSolutions for electric charging systems).

Haier's basic idea, in a nutshell, is to create an interconnected and sustainable domestic environment that combines efficiency and technology to improve the quality of daily life of those who live in it and increase the durability (thanks to preventive and predictive maintenance ensured by sensors and artificial intelligence) of the appliances that populate it. All of this under the banner of maximum flexibility and customisation of the different scenarios for using the appliances and the services connected to them: it is in fact the user, through the hOn app, who decides whether to completely delegate choices to the system or take advantage of the support provided by the various digital tools available. And it is precisely in this freedom of choice that AI comes most into play, enhancing the management functions of products and services remotely with suggestions and usage statistics, maximising the performance of connected appliances and enabling a meticulous personalisation of the home ecosystem, learning from the habits of its tenants. A practical example? The wine cellars for storing bottles of wine from the Group's various brands: thanks to the dedicated widget on the hOn platform, it is in fact possible to remotely monitor the appliance and its maintenance needs, create one's own virtual collection of labels and automatically expand the 'physical' equipment with the purchase of the desired references and the most suitable care products.

Washing products

In the area dedicated to washing, Haier's flagship is undoubtedly the new X Series 11, a family of appliances that reaches the A-60% energy class. The washing machine, in particular, is characterised by a series of cutting-edge features such as Ultra Fresh Air technology, which can also be activated from the hOn app: in a nutshell, it is a system of continuous air flow in the drum that refreshes clothes, keeping the environment dry and preventing the spread of bacteria and unpleasant odours for up to 12 hours after the end of the cycle. The dryer's declared pluses, on the other hand, are its motors (Dual Engine Inverter and Twin Motor with Ultra Reverse Drum), which promise to achieve the highest level of efficiency with an energy class that goes up to A++ -25 per cent.

Artificial intelligence, for its part, recognises the type and quantity of laundry, optimising the machine's settings to ensure the best performance. Another interesting technological 'add-on' to the X Series 9 dryers is a 3D scanner moisture detection system that prevents residual moisture inside the drum and facilitates the perfect drying of even the largest loads.

Also not missing from Haier's stand at Ifa is Washpass, one of the first ever subscription-based washing solutions. The system, which is AI-controlled and fully manageable via the hOn app, is designed to meet the usage needs of every type of consumer and minimise the amount of effort they need to devote to this activity, managing, for example, the automatic reordering of detergents and activating tailor-made assistance.

In the field of dishwashers, on the other hand, there are basically two novelties: the Xynergy Series 11 line that allows up to class A-40% and the I-Pro Shine family equipped with Biovitae technology, the result of a collaboration with the Nextsense affiliated brand. The highlight is a natural white LED light, conveniently activated from the hOn app, which can deeply sanitise and eliminate viruses and bacteria from dishes.

Intelligence in the kitchen between ovens and fridges

If Chef@Home attracts the eye for its large full touch screen that allows all its functions to be controlled and the ID Ultimate Series 6 boasts the IF Design Award in the Kitchen Appliance category, the added value that Haier brings to the kitchen is linked above all to the Bionic Steam technologies that equip some oven lines (such as Round Flavour Steam, designed specifically for bakery products) for steaming food, also exploiting the support of artificial intelligence to maximise its potential. All the appliances in the ID Series family, on the other hand, are equipped with the internal Bionic Vision camera that recognises food and automatically sets the ideal cooking cycle and Bionic Intelligence technology, which in connection with the hOn app allows remote control of cooking and oven temperature, programming and selection of numerous programmes and recipes.

Remaining in the kitchen but moving into the refrigeration area, the novelty is called 'Supercooling', a technology installed inside a drawer on a Cube 90 Series 7 refrigerator and designed to guarantee the quality of the most delicate foods for up to 10 days, avoiding the hassle of defrosting and counteracting the formation of micro-organisms in food.

Technology becomes a furnishing element

For those who do not renounce aesthetics even when it comes to household appliances, the Haier Casarte Series is the collection that offers design products such as the LaundryCenter, an elegant and space-saving column washer and dryer system that uses AI to share information between the two appliances regarding the washing programme in use and automatically preheat the drying function 15 minutes before the end of the cycle, setting the most suitable parameters.

Intelligent Wardrobe, on the other hand, is a wardrobe for garment care designed to dry, sterilise and perfume the most delicate garments by exploiting the movement of the rod where the clothes are hung and a high-temperature steam mechanism that softens the structure of the fibres to prevent any creasing. Finally, the collection is completed with the Haier Casarte Series Dishwasher, whose baskets can be used completely independently according to individual needs.