Google is hoping that people will be able to employ its Android operating system for a whole lot more than just their tablet and mobile devices.

Last week, at the Google conference for developers held in San Francisco, the internet giants showcased their vision of the future – a future where you can use your Android devices for everything, from turning on the dishwasher, switching the living room lights on and off, the sprinkler system – practically anything in your home in fact.

 

Tentatively named Android@Home, the new technology will be built directly into household systems such as lights and appliances and use Bluetooth technology to communicate with your tablet device or cell phone.

The Android-powered house sure is a futuristic vision – yet it’s one that is also already underway, with LighteningScience already planning to release Android-compatible LED lights later this year.

“We believe that everything should be made to work with Android,” says Andy Rubin of Google. “We want to take things to the next level. Android is not going to be something that people buy in the store anymore, then take it home. It will bridge that gap.”

Another device introduced by Google is the Open Accessory Toolkit, which can help developers of appliances like washing machines make them compatible with Android.

While it has already been possible to link Android to various machines, it has never been easy, nor standardized, but the Open Accessory Toolkit will change that.

 

“The toolkit offers a standard way for any appliance or accessory to talk to Android,” says Hiroshi Lockheimer, Android’s director of engineering.

And Android won’t just be limited to home appliances. Google proudly showed off the toolkits capabilities, demonstrating an exercise bike hooked up to Android. They also claim many more unimaginable uses, such as using Android-linked devices to build robots.