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The Korean electronics giant, which headquarters its European design centre in Dublin, said that its vision is for a connected network of smart home appliances that communicate through a special Living Network System. In the network, the refrigerator acts as the residential gateway to the home, according to Simon Kang, president of LG Electronics USA.
"As we refine this technology, we envision everything in the house to be tied together through the refrigerator, since it's the only appliance on 24 hours a day,'' Kang said in a statement. He said the intelligence of the appliances under development could help the machines to become "assistant homemakers," collecting recipes, preparing meals and keeping kitchens stocked with food.
The company is making a strong push into the US market with the new appliances, which will be pitched as premium products timed for a Christmas release. Its Internet refrigerator, to be released by the fourth quarter of 2002, is a 26-cubic-foot refrigerator with a large 15.1-inch LCD display and a local area network port. The refrigerator is unique in that it can be used as a television as well as a fully functional Web terminal for surfing and e-mailing. A digital camera is mounted on top of the LCD for the capture of video messages and still photos.
The company said it had invested more than USD12 million over three years to develop the refrigerator, which was first launched in Korea in 2000.
Also due to be released in the fourth quarter in the US is LG's Internet microwave oven, complete with embedded modem and LCD display, which will let customers download recipes from the Internet and bookmark food Web sites. The microwave has also been designed to allow a direct connection to grocery stores that provide an on-line service, although LG has not announced partnership agreements with any food retailers.
The third appliance in LG's home network is its Internet Turbo Drum Washer, which also connects to the Internet. The machine, which features a small 4.2-inch LCD window and 4Mbit flash memory, is not limited only to factory-set wash settings but can tailor the washing programs to the user's needs with information downloaded from the www.lgewasher.com Web site.
The machine, which was also first introduced in 2000, does not allow remote control via the Internet, but LG will be banking on its appeal as an energy saver for home users. The machine's drum is designed to lean forward 12 degrees, eliminating noise but also saving water consumption by around 30 percent, according to LG's estimates.
The company did not reveal European launch dates for the Internet-connected appliances.
Including its European design centre staff in Ireland LG Electronics employs some 55,000 staff in its worldwide electronics and telecommunications operations. The company recorded total sales of USD11.2 billion in 2000.
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