Digital amenities like automated storage units, camera-equipped refrigerators, and convertible furniture operated by mobile phone are now being offered by property managers and developers to woo renters.
Ori, named after 'origami', is an all-in-one furniture system that plugs into a wall socket and is mounted on a track for convertibility. The unit is controlled via mobile device, or voice-assistant software. The New York Times reports the unit is available in rental projects in New Jersey and Manhattan. Renters in the first 286-unit phase of the project will be able to lease a telescoping bed-and-dresser system designed by Ori Systems.
“It’s not about the future,” said Elena Ashkinazy, a manager at Time Equities, the developer listing a two-bedroom co-op on the Upper East Side called the “smart apart” for its futuristic features. This apartment includes a fridge that has three cameras inside that are accessible remotely. “The time is here,” Ms. Ashkinazy said, “and we have to be up-to-date.”
