Press

ROBOTICS / No chores left / The KTRH Dream Home is plugged into the future
July 01, 2006
by Maggie Galehouse

The Space Age home of George Jetson, patriarch of the "The Jetsons" TV cartoon family who commuted to work on a flying saucer, seemed enviably easy thanks to robots and other labor-saving contraptions.

But the robotics on display during the KTRH Dream Home tour give George's galactic pad a run for its money.

By Black Diamond Builders, the 5,300-square-foot home near Voss and Woodway integrates robotics with traditional design and energy efficiency. David Yates, host of NewsRadio 740 KTRH's Home Improvement Hotline and the Dream Home project manager, describes the home's automated features:

RoboMower: Made by Friendly Robotics, an Israeli company that also produces minesweepers for the Israeli army. "You install a small wire around the perimeter of your yard to keep the mower inside, and program its mowing schedule," Yates explains. "It has its own docking station. It's electric and quiet, so you can mow day or night. And it mulches." Costco, $1,499.99.

Roomba Scheduler: This vacuum cleaner from iRobot - the same company that created tactical robots, or PackBots, for the U.S. Army in Iraq - has a docking station and can be programmed to clean rugs, tiles, hardwoods and more as often as you like. Sears, Linens 'n Things, $329.99.

Scooba: Also from iRobot, the Scooba mops. www.irobot.com, $399.99.

Crestron Adagio system: At Home Media, a Houston company, has installed an entertainment system that can provide audio throughout a home via a wireless touch screeen, an in-wall touch screen or the Internet. Sources can include iPods, CDs, DVDs, satellite radio and more, played from any room to any room. The system also controls lighting, air conditioning and security cameras. www.athomemedia.net, starts under $10,000.

TED, aka The Energy Detective: Plug it into the wall, and it tells you in real time how much electricity you're using and how much it costs. "People can diagnose their home energy use and figure out how much their bills are going to be every month," Yates says. Not yet available in Houston.

All tour proceeds benefit the Arbor School, a Houston institution that offers educational intervention to children with developmental delays or handicaps.

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What: KTRH Dream Home

Where: Hunters Creek Village, 1117 River Bend

Hours: 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. Saturdays; 1-5 p.m. Sundays, through Aug. 6

Free parking and shuttle: Randalls Flagship store on Voss, between San Felipe and Woodway

Price: $5; free for those younger than 12

Information: www.ktrh.com