So, what exactly is a router? Is it just a black box that sits unloved in your cellar…diligently, through day and night, broadcasting internet connectivity through your home? A device that - let's be honest - usually doesn't get much attention, until of course something goes wrong, at which point the fix often begins with pulling the plug to reset it.
We asked ourselves: Couldn't there be another way? Couldn't a router be more than the little box in the corner? What if we created a mash up of the latest tech- augmented reality, artificial intelligence, WiFi sensing and computer vision, and brought this to a router design? What new applications and use cases can we enable?
For me, there is a great opportunity in the meaningful fusion of these technologies with the router. It could go from being the “necessary, purely functional”, to the “living, must have". Something that offers far more than just connectivity. A real companion and helper in everyday life.
Could it feel almost like a family member, with secure, trustworthy applications that offer people real added value?
Could it become a real digital assistant? With cameras and sensors, it could distinguish people and its applications could be personalized. With wheels, it could take the Wi-Fi to where it is needed. Maybe even receive parcels.
We will be presenting our ideas at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona.
And what do you think? What are your ideas for the home assistant of the future?
A router sends internet connections through the house. We asked ourselves: Couldn't he do much more?
© Deutsche Telekom; Montage: Evelyn Ebert Meneses
Jon Abrahamson
Chief Product & Digital Officer
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