Imagine yourself in a home where your TV screen stretches around three walls, ceilings show the natural light and weather above, kitchen countertops display recipes and dietary advice, and the bathroom mirror shows your calendar as you brush your teeth.These were some of the concepts for the home of the future that Philadelphia University students presented at the end of a one-week company-sponsored Innovation Nexus Sprint on Oct. 28. 

We challenged 19 interdisciplinary teams of Philadelphia University students to come up with innovative technology solutions for the home of 2020. Some 100 students from architecture, interior design, landscape architecture and MBA programs spent an intense week brainstorming, problem-solving and designing. Their interdisciplinary approach brought fresh ideas and perspective the challenge. 

The depth of their concepts was impressive. Most intriguing was their interpretations of future environments and how they married digital and physical space. There were three exceptional ideas that stood out. First place went to "Ghost," a personal device that would utilize sonar and cloud technology to help users control household technology through voice commands.Second place went to "Economic and Social Rowhouses," which proposed solar panels, green walls and backyard terraces to help ramp up sustainability in the typical Philadelphia row home. And "Comcast Home: Wireless Energy" came in third with its innovative idea of producing wireless energy by harnessing kinetic energy through floor tiles. 

We’re already powering next generation technology in the home, but through our collaborative efforts with students we can expand the horizon of services to create the experiences for the home of the future.