Dave Gershgorn/ Popular Science
LG's new refrigerator can be opened by waving your foot in front of a sensor.
It's a problem we all have: we want to open the refrigerator, but lack the strength, constitution, and resolve to actually do it.
LG has come to the rescue, with a refrigerator that opens with your foot, and an opaque window that becomes transparent when you knock on it.
To open by foot, the refrigerator actually projects a little image onto your kitchen floor. Place your foot into that area, and the door will open, then automatically close after a few seconds.
LG has been playing with door-in-door design for a few years, to bulk up the amount of storage. Now, LG has made a window into the right, outermost door, that activates when you knock on it. If you see something you want, the window swings open and you can grab it. If anyone has ever yelled at you for leaving the refrigerator open too long while you look for a snack, this is the fridge for you.
And of course, there's an app to control temperature throughout the fridge, so you'll always know your kale is a crisp 37 degrees Fahrenheit.
These features are easy to mock, but can actually be a really useful thing for a lot of people. Making appliances more accessible for those with disabilities or trouble with motor skills is a big win, and I can honestly see myself using that knock feature.
No pricing has been announced yet, but the products are slated to ship early 2016.
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