LG ‘Puts Focus On Accessibility’ With Introduction Of New Universal UP Kit, Smart Cottage

LG's Universal UP Kit is intended to make home appliances more accessible.

Korea-based electronics giant LG has announced two new products that it says have been designed for all: the Universal UP Kit and the Smart Cottage. In a nutshell, both products were designed to make the home a more accessible—and very much modularly so—place for everyone.

Both products will be shown at this year’s IFA show in Berlin, Germany.

In a press release published earlier this week, LG described the Universal UP Kit as “a collection of innovative home appliance accessories and add-ons embracing universal design and made from recycled materials, the LG Universal UP Kit has been crafted to enhance usability for individuals facing physical challenges, exemplifying LG’s vision of a more inclusive and sustainable future.” The Kit’s modular nature means customers need not replace, for example, their entire washer and dryer set to make them more accessible pieces of tech. The Kit includes a so-called “Easy Handle Kit” that, according to LG, “comes with detachable handles for the door and the detergent drawer for LG’s washer” intended to help those with low muscle tone or other motor-related conditions. And in accommodating those who are visually impaired, LG noted the Handle Kit features high-contrast handles so as to help those who cope with conditions such as amblyopia.

Other products include the Assistant Kit, described by LG as a “detachable, wheeled strut redistributes the weight of LG’s CordZero stick vacuum, offering enhanced control and maneuverability.” There also is the Easy Hanger Kit, Rotate Shelf Kit, and Easy Nozzle Kit.

LG said it worked closely with members of its Accessibility Advisory Council in developing the Universal UP Kit. The group, which comprises people of varying disabilities, proved instrumental in helping designers and engineers build the Kit by sharing their “insights, experiences and the challenges they had experienced while using various home appliances.” Upon receipt, the company then “compiled, categorized and analyzed the individual feedback” and said the information shaped the foundation of the UP Kit. In addition, the feedback will be useful to LG in “steering the course for future accessibility-led projects.”

“The Universal UP Kit is designed to enhance the usability and accessibility of our home appliances and has been developed to resolve pain points shared with us by real consumers,” Lyu Jae-cheol, LG Electronics’ president of its home appliance and air solutions division, said in a statement included in the press release. “Through the Universal UP Kit, we will ensure that all LG appliance owners, regardless of age or physical limitations, can enjoy a convenient user experience.”

LG's Smart Cottage is billed as modular, environmentally friendly, and even transportable.

As for the Smart Cottage, it’s LG’s spin on a modernized HVAC system. In a separate press release, the company described it on Tuesday as a “a compact, prefabricated home incorporating LG’s cutting-edge heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) and energy solutions, as well as its newest smart home appliances and services.” Like the aforementioned Universal UP Kit, the Smart Cottage is designed to be modular: the Smart Cottage is a studio-like place with two stories that “provides a functional, convenient living environment and maximum space efficiency.” LG claims the Smart Cottage is easily transportable due to its small footprint, the amenities of which feature “all the appliances and facilities one could need” to live comfortably. In terms of its environmental impact, LG said the Smart Cottage has been built with low carbon steel materials and furnished with energy-efficient appliances (made by LG, obviously) and an electric vehicle charger.

Of the modular home, Jae-cheol said in part its LG’s mission to “redefine residential living by seamlessly integrating its energy solutions, appliances and services into a space that lets people live life their way.”