Innovative user experiences are becoming the norm in home appliances. Just as consumers are accustomed to managing everyday communication with the swipe of a finger, they increasingly expect similar experiences from their stoves, dishwashers and dryers. But while smartphones must be durable enough to withstand everyday use, many home appliances must withstand much more extreme conditions, such as high temperatures and rapid, extended vibration. These requirements are driving the development of advanced user interfaces (UIs), emphasizing convenience as well as efficiency and safety. 

As design engineers translate increasing consumer demands into tangible products, how can they continue to push advanced UI technology forward to exceed expectations without risking performance and reliability?

Go deeper: Key Trends in Appliance Design: Challenges and Opportunities

To achieve these goals, designers must consider a variety of tactile UI options. After all, advanced UIs in home appliances are no longer symbols of luxury devices — they’re an expectation. The following tactile UI mechanisms can be found in common home appliances, from microwaves to washers and dryers to refrigerator touch screens.  Selecting one tactile option over another depends on the device’s desired design and user experience, as well as the cost to manufacture and implement the features.

A testament to early innovation in appliance UIs, membrane switches offer simplicity, durability and cost effectiveness. By design, membrane switches consist of several layers — typically including printed design, spacer, circuit and adhesive layers that are laminated together. Pressing a membrane switch completes an electrical circuit to activate a command. As one of the simplest appliance UI components, the layered structure of membrane switches limits the implementation of complex features and advanced aesthetics.

Often paired with membrane switches, metal domes provide satisfying tactile feedback through a distinct clicking sound when pressed. Their stainless-steel construction provides both durability and reliability, making them a cost-effective option for designs seeking to enhance the user experience while maintaining a discreet footprint.

While membrane switches rely on physical pressure, capacitive touch technology uses electrical capacitance. When a user touches a screen, the finger acts like a dielectric in a capacitor and is interpreted by the underlying sensors as a touch event. Designers should consider challenges such as the need for specialized controllers to interpret touch location and pressure, as well as the sensitivity to electromagnetic interference (EMI).

Elevating the user experience further, haptic feedback uses actuators to provide non-visual feedback in the form of vibrations or other tactile sensations. Haptic feedback enhances the experience by confirming user input, providing error alerts and delivering progress updates, by employing varying vibration patterns, for example. While haptic feedback offers an immersive experience, designers need to carefully select the right actuator for the specific application and strategically position it in close proximity to their point of interaction.

Advanced home appliance UIs are not limited to tactile options. Hands-free home appliance control and communication features are seeing increased adoption in home appliances for accessibility, convenience and intuitive experiences — setting the stage for the next generation of devices. 

Using natural language commands, voice control allows users to interact with their appliances to initiate functions, such as preheating an oven to a specific temperature for a designated time. However, to ensure a seamless user experience, designers must carefully consider several factors. To accurately capture voice commands, even in noisy environments, microphone placement is key. Additionally, incorporating noise cancellation technology further enhances processing accuracy by filtering out unwanted background sounds. Designers should also incorporate robust natural language processing (NLP) capabilities to interpret user commands and respond accordingly.

Like voice control, gesture control offers hands-free interaction, using body movements for commands. While gesture control is still in its early stages for home appliance applications, it holds promise for enhanced user experience by supporting multitasking, helping to minimize the spread of germs and providing accessibility for individuals with physical limitations.

Effective gesture control calls for intentionality in the design phase. Sensor selection (e.g., infrared, radar) is critical to range, accuracy and interference levels. Precise sensor placement also impacts language recognition accuracy. Addressing these factors can help gesture control become a user-friendly, intuitive way to interact with home appliances.

Sensors and processing units in appliances commonly utilize sounds to provide information to users. Whether it’s an error notification from a dishwasher or progress update from an oven, auditory cues are a valued aspect of the user experience with home appliances. While auditory cues are an efficient way to communicate information, designers need to consider volume, timing and clarity to avoid imposing unnecessary, noisy distractions in the home.

While advanced UIs unlock new ways to interact with home appliances, their design and implementation extends beyond mere functionality. In addition to delivering innovative capabilities, these interfaces must be safe, user friendly and reliable in the real world.

By exposing appliance components to a high-temperature element, glow wire testing simulates potential fire hazards. Glow wire testing applies an electrically heated nichrome wire loop to a test component for a specific timeframe to assess two crucial factors: the component’s resistance to ignition and the potential spread of fire. This testing method is especially important for unattended appliances like ovens and toasters, as well as high-current components like power cords and connectors.  

Go Deeper: Glow Wire Testing and Evaluation Overview: Improving Safety in Home Appliances

In addition to supporting safety requirements, connector design plays a key role in ergonomic appliance assembly. When design engineers prioritize ergonomic features such as reduced mating force, and improved housing design and clear push points, manufacturers can maximize worker efficiency while minimizing physical fatigue. 

Emphasizing ergonomic connector design is a win-win-win that reduces production costs for manufacturers, creates a safer work environment for employees and improves reliability for consumers. Connectors that have been securely mated are more resistant to vibration and ingress, and help avoid risks of device failure, repairs and warranty claims. 

Go Deeper: Ergonomic Considerations within Electronic Connector Design

Packing more electronics into appliances requires miniaturized components that are just as rugged as their larger counterparts. Connectors serve as a prime example, requiring durability to withstand the harsh conditions inside an appliance. This includes liquids, extreme temperatures (both hot and cold) and vibrations. Careful connector material selection and design will ensure these components maintain reliability throughout the lifetime of the appliance. 
 
Our experience across industries with demanding applications in harsh environments has driven the development of innovative connector solutions that meet and exceed the requirements for miniaturization and ruggedness in home appliances. 

Go Deeper: Miniaturized Connectors Solution Guide

Molex isn’t just planning for tomorrow’s connected home — we’re building it today. Our global engineering expertise and broad portfolio of interconnect solutions support the ongoing evolution of home appliances. We collaborate with customers to deliver the cutting-edge technology and reliable components they need to bring the next generation of home appliances to life.

For more insights into home appliance design considerations, view our Home Appliance Webinar Series.