LG's new smart sofa concept recognizes whoever sits on it

Oct. 15, 2018 07:54AM EST

LG has teamed up with Natuzzi, Italy's largest furniture company, to produce a concept demonstrating what the smart and connected sofa of the future could look like in a home.

Branded under the high-end LG Signature name, the Colosseo sofa is said to recognize who sits on it, then can automatically adjust its position to suit that person's preferences.

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By tapping into the Google Assistant, the connected couch can also talk with your smart home devices, like lighting, heating, an air purifier, and the television. If the concept becomes a reality, smart homes of the future could adjust the lights, switch on your favorite channel and tilt the sofa to just the right position as soon as you sit down.

The motorized furniture can be adjusted to one of five positions for different activities — reading, relaxing, watching TV, listening to music, and a 'pause' mode for when you finally want to get up. Controlling this is done via an LG smartphone app, or with voice commands through the Google Assistant.

LG said: "The ergonomic, tech-enabled sofa can recognize the user and interact with TV and other smart devices."

The sofa makes its North American debut at the High Point Market furniture show in North Carolina this week, which runs until October 18.

LG's ThinQ range also includes a range of connected kitchen devicesLG

Natuzzi is no stranger to fitting tech like Bluetooth speakers to its sofas, but the Colosseo concept is the first time the firm has branched out into the smart home.

This being a concept, neither company explains exactly how the sofa recognizes the people who sit on it. This detail aside, however, we can see a smart sofa being a useful addition to the smart home.

You could, for example, have lights across the room dim when you sit down on the sofa, while the TV switches on and flicks to the channel you normally watch at that time of day.

Another action could see the sofa shift from a laid-back position to a more upright stance when the doorbell rings, helping less mobile people to their feet. Finally, getting up from the sofa when a film finishes late at night could have the stairway and bedroom lights switch on.

"Natuzzi and LG Signature entered into this partnership with the same objectives in mind – to make beautifully designed, art-inspired, minimalistic products that fit into any luxury home," said LG's senior vice president of marketing, David VanderWaal.

Pasquale Junior Natuzzi, PR and communication officer at Natuzzi Italia, said, "Working with LG Signature, a brand on the forefront of innovation and style, supports us on achieving our goal of providing the utmost comfort and linking them to the latest technology trends."

Elsewhere in the home, LG is pushing forward with its ThinQ sub-brand, which includes a range of connected kitchen devices like a fridge, over, microwave and dishwasher, all of which are controlled by voice assistants and smartphone apps.

(Check out The GearBrain, our smart home compatibility checker to see the other compatible products that work with Google Home and Home Mini.)