"Welcome Home! Humidity Is High, Activating Dehumidification"... The House Responds as Soon as the Door Opens [Report]

The AI Brain "ThinQ On" Arrives in a 30-Pyeong Apartment

Seamless AI Connections from Master Bedroom to Bathroom

A Silent War to Secure Five Million Households

On May 27, inside a research space at LG Science Park in Magok, Seoul. At first glance, it looked like an ordinary apartment entrance, but the moment a fingerprint was placed on the smart door lock, an entirely different world opened up. As the door unlocked with a "click," soft lighting illuminated the space and gentle music began to play. Next, the artificial intelligence (AI) assistant guided the user through today's indoor temperature and humidity with a friendly voice, followed by a suggestion that made it hard not to nod along.

"Humidity is high today. Activating Styler in dehumidification mode."

This is the moment when a house transforms from a simple concrete box into a 'hyper-personalized butler' that recognizes and welcomes its owner. It is the first impression of 'ThinQ Real,' LG Electronics' blueprint for the future of AI homes.

The interior space of LG Electronics’ AI home ‘ThinQ Real’ located at LG Science Park in Magok, Seoul. When the fingerprint is recognized at the front door, the curtains open and the lights turn on according to the user’s lifestyle. Photo by Jin Young Kim

The Brain of Generative AI Installed in a 30-Pyeong Apartment: 'ThinQ On'

'ThinQ Real,' which faithfully recreates a typical 30-pyeong (approximately 100 square meters) national housing apartment, is densely integrated with dozens of home appliances, Internet of Things (IoT) devices, and sensors from the entrance to the living room, kitchen, master bedroom, dressing room, and bathroom. At the heart of this vast system is the AI home hub, 'ThinQ On.' It goes beyond simply controlling appliances remotely; it understands the user's lifestyle context in real time and orchestrates the entire space as a single organic entity. Researchers here collect and analyze customer behavior data and validate new AI automation scenarios daily.

Located in the living room, LG Electronics' ThinQ real AI home hub, 'ThinQ On,' interacts with users and remotely controls electronically connected devices throughout the house in an organic manner. Photo by Jinyoung Kim

The true value of an AI home is realized when appliances and residential infrastructure communicate with each other. When a frying pan is placed on the stove to start cooking in the kitchen, the AI automatically opens the window for ventilation and temporarily halts the air purifier and air conditioner. This is to prevent oil vapors from adhering to the fan and filter. When moving to the living room and saying, "Activate cinema mode," the curtains close smoothly and the lighting dims. Leaning back in the massage chair in the master bedroom, the curtains close and the lighting shifts to a calm tone, transitioning the entire space into relaxation mode. Even without voice commands, a single smart button on the wall can trigger routines that capture detailed lifestyle patterns.

In addition, next-generation technologies that enhance residential quality, such as a 'system air purifier' embedded in the living room ceiling and a 'smart faucet' that detects and notifies bathtub water levels, are being prepared for commercialization here.

The look of the LG Electronics ThinQ Real Kitchen. When cooking starts, the living room window opens, and the ceiling-embedded system air purifier automatically stops operating. Photo by Jinyoung Kim

Only 5 Million out of 12 Million Households... Fierce Race with Samsung to Secure Infrastructure

An LG Electronics official met at the 'ThinQ Real' tour site highlighted the harsh reality of the market and the intense competition hidden behind such dazzling technology.

"Currently, the domestic apartment market comprises about 12 million households, but apartments that are too old and outdated are structurally difficult to retrofit with cutting-edge AI infrastructure. In practical terms, the effective target segment for LG Electronics' AI home solutions is estimated to be around 4 to 5 million households."

Ultimately, a fierce competition with Samsung Electronics is underway over who can secure this limited market share first. No matter how advanced the appliances are, unless a company controls the apartment's backbone (the home network), there are limits to realizing a 'true AI home' capable of calling elevators or checking vehicles in shared parking lots.

A view of the LG Electronics ThinQ Real living room. When cooking starts in the kitchen, the living room window opens, and the ceiling-mounted system air purifier automatically stops operating. Photo by Jin Young Kim

Forming a 'HomeNet Alliance' with Hyundai HT... Securing a Base of 1.2 Million Households

To gain the upper hand in this race for speed, LG Electronics has begun forming alliances with companies that hold the keys to smart home infrastructure in Korean apartments. By connecting LG Electronics' cloud to the infrastructure already installed by home network specialists such as Hyundai HT, Kocom, Commax, HDC Labs, and Kyungdong Navien in apartments nationwide, the company aims to enable customers to control appliances, check maintenance fees, and confirm parking locations all at once through a single ThinQ app. As of the first quarter of this year, the number of households using the 'Connect Our Complex' service has already surpassed 300,000.

LG Electronics AI home platform ThinQ running on the StandbyMe web service version. Users can directly control indoor temperature and humidity in the house. Photo by Jin-Young Kim

In particular, LG Electronics has recently significantly strengthened collaboration with Hyundai HT to build a system that directly integrates 'ThinQ On' with wall pads. Through this, the company has achieved a breakthrough by instantly securing a massive user base of around 1.2 million households for pilot operation. This foundation allows not only residents of newly built apartments, but also those in many existing apartments with Hyundai HT wall pads, to experience cutting-edge AI homes immediately by simply adding a 'ThinQ On' hub—without having to remodel their living room walls.

An LG Electronics official stated, "Since last year, we have expanded the supply of 'ThinQ On,' focusing on POSCO E&C's residential brand 'The Sharp,' and the cumulative supply has exceeded 10,000 households. Currently, our AI home solutions are being discussed primarily for new apartments and multi-family housing, but we are also considering gradually expanding to existing apartments and eventually even to single-family homes."

The entrance door of ThinkReal, located at LG Science Park in Magok, Seoul. From the moment the fingerprint is recognized, the indoor environment adjusts to the user's personalized lifestyle settings. Photo by Jinyoung Kim

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.