Core Components of a Smart Mirror
While intelligent mirror designs can vary, most incorporate several core technical elements:
- A display screen, such as an LCD or high-definition screen, mounted behind the one-way mirror glass to show digital content. This allows the mirror to function normally but also serve as a display.
- Sensors including cameras, proximity sensors and motion detectors that can detect a user's presence and movements in front of the mirror.
- Voice control via built-in microphones that let users communicate verbally with the mirror's voice assistant for tasks like getting information, controlling smart home devices and more.
- Compute capabilities powered by systems-on-chip or single-board computers that run the mirror's operating system and applications. Smart Mirror "brain" enables the interactive and connected features.
- Connectivity like WiFi and Bluetooth to access online data and control other networked smart devices throughout the home.
Common Smart Mirror Features and Functions
Once the basic hardware infrastructure is in place, intelligent mirrors can deliver a wide range of useful features:
- Digital clock/calendar - Display the time, date, upcoming events and schedules on the mirror surface.
- Visual reminders - Show to-do lists, shopping lists, calendar reminders, weather forecasts and more.
- Smart home controls - Manage lights, thermostats, security cameras, door locks and other connected devices using the mirror interface.
- Online information - Access news headlines, traffic updates, sports scores or stock prices with a simple voice command.
- Video calling - Position an integrated camera above or beside the mirror for making video calls right from the mirror frame.
- Entertainment - Stream music, podcasts, videos or display streaming device content directly on the mirror display.
- Personal assistant - Integrate voice assistants like Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant to answer questions, control smart home systems and more through natural voice interactions.
- Facial recognition - Some advanced models incorporate facial recognition capabilities for hands-free unlocking, personalized user profiles and enhanced security features.
The Smart Mirror Ecosystem is Growing Rapidly
As the underlying technologies that power intelligent mirrors continue to advance and become more affordable, the overall ecosystem supporting these devices is expanding rapidly. Key industry developments include:
- Increased component integration - More system-on-chip solutions and development boards are pre-integrating the necessary compute, connectivity and interface components into single packaged units optimized for intelligent mirror applications. This simplifies designs and reduces costs.
- Open-source intelligent mirror platforms - Projects like MagicMirror, Raspberry Mirror and Mycroft aim to standardize software frameworks and enable easier third-party app and skills development, further fueling ecosystem growth.
Get more insights on Smart Mirror
