Emerson Smart Unveils Offline Voice Control for Home Appliances at CES For those drawn to the convenience of voice-controlled homes but wary of smart devices that send recordings to the cloud, a new option has emerged. Emerson Smart introduced a lineup of home appliances at CES that process voice commands directly on the device, requiring no Wi-Fi connection and no smartphone app. This approach addresses a core privacy concern with many smart home systems. Commands are recognized locally, not transmitted over the internet to be processed on remote servers. The trade-off for this privacy is a simpler, more self-contained system. The product range includes smart plugs, fans, space heaters, and air fryers. Setup involves simply plugging them in. Users activate them with wake phrases like “Hey Emerson” or, for some devices, “Hey fan.” In a demonstration, commands such as “lights on” or “turn on low” were executed promptly. Some models include a speaker to audibly confirm a received command. The air fryers showcase more advanced local processing, with programming for approximately 100 cooking presets. A user can say “reheat this pizza” or “cook these frozen french fries,” and the appliance will automatically set the correct mode, time, and temperature. It also accepts direct instructions like “cook at 350 degrees for 10 minutes.” Other devices handle simpler commands for setting timers, activating oscillation, or adjusting speed intensity. A degree of basic programmability is present. For instance, holding the button on a smart plug can change its wake word to “plug two” or “plug three,” allowing individual control of multiple units in one room. The demonstration revealed a potential challenge. With several devices active in one space, saying “Hey Emerson” triggered responses from both an air fryer and a heater. This suggests that fully outfitting a home with these products would require thoughtful naming and placement to ensure coherent operation. The lack of a coordinating app limits deeper customization and scene creation, which is the intentional trade-off for an offline, app-free experience. As the only readily available, non-DIY line of offline voice-controlled appliances, consumers are limited to Emerson Smart’s designs. The current aesthetic is clean and modern, if somewhat basic. Newer models of air purifiers and fans shown at CES featured a more refined and attractive design. A selection of Emerson Smart devices is available for purchase now, with additional products scheduled to enter production later this year. The lineup presents a clear alternative for privacy-conscious users willing to exchange some smart home flexibility for local, voice-activated control.
