Space-saving furniture goes robotic

Artificial intelligence, robotics and deep learning technology are helping maximize the use of living spaces in homes.

Future households might see smaller yet multipurpose living spaces, beds and closets that tuck away, and smart wardrobes that give suggestions on what to wear for the day.

This vision is what San Francisco-based startup Bumblebee Spaces is set achieve. By using artificial intelligence, robotics and deep learning, it aims to free up spaces in tight urban apartments to improve the quality of living. The company looks to take advantage of all the unused spaces on the ceilings of homes, allowing residents to reclaim floor space typically occupied by bulky furniture.

Bumblebee Spaces offers beds, closets and storage strapped into pulley-type systems, which lift the furniture to the ceiling when not in use, increasing a room's open space to give way to various household activities, including exercising and hosting friends.

To prevent injuries, these furniture pieces are equipped with sensors that stop them from lowering automatically when a person or even pets wander under their path. Each product is tested in homes and the company's warehouse, and complies with different cities' building codes.

Bumblebee's closets and storage also incorporate cameras and adopt deep learning technology to monitor users' habits, tracking who owns what and how often they use each item, including clothes, accessories and sundries.

With a paired app called the AI Butler, a searchable inventory is created and can be accessed via a smartphone or voice command. The butler learns a person's habits and can make suggestions on which clothes to wear. The app also logs how often an item is used, allowing it to identify items that are rarely used and recommend things that can be disposed of to free up even more space.

Bumblee products, however, are currently available only to selected developers and landlords in San Francisco and Seattle in the US.

A recent United Nations report predicts that almost 70 percent of the world's population will be living in cities by 2050. This is expected to result in overcrowded urban centers with limited housing and exorbitant rents. The situation can create a huge demand for space-saving furniture in the future.