Retired US Marine Corps Sgt. Rob Jones and his wife, Pam, are seeing their new smart home for the first time.
Meet retired US Marine Corps Sgt. Rob Jones.
He was wounded in Afghanistan in 2010, which resulted in double above-the-knee amputations.
The Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Foundation, a non-profit that builds custom homes for veterans critically injured in the line of duty, built this home for Rob and his wife, Pam.
The home sits on 13 acres in Loudon County, VA, roughly an hour's drive from Washington, DC. It is full of smart home technology.
Rob and Pam are about to see the inside of the house for the first time and a lot of people are here for the unveiling.
Rob and Pam plan to farm the land and turn it into a business.
This is the first time they're seeing the inside of the house.
They picked out the paint colors, furniture and more.
So they know what to expect, more or less. But they've been waiting since before construction began in late fall of 2018 to actually see it in person.
They sit down in the smaller living room off the main entry to share what it feels like to finally be in their new home.
A large half bathroom in the entryway can accommodate Rob's wheelchair.
The toilet automatically opens and has a bunch of other cool features.
Tunnel to Towers installed a Control4 smart home system in the house. The brains of the system hangs out in this closet.
Their kitchen also has a bunch of neat features.
Rob and Pam love to cook, so they're particularly excited about this room.
They plan to cook most of their food from their own garden.
Trevor Tamsen, assistant manager of media relations at Tunnel to Towers points out some of the key features in the kitchen.
The cooktop, for instance, raises and lowers at the press of a button.
This way, Rob can cook when he's using his wheelchair and will still be able to see what he's doing.
The microwave was mounted to the bottom cabinet for easy access.
Rob tests it out.
Even the faucet is smart.
When Rob swiped his hand past it, it turn on.
The laundry area past the kitchen leads to the garage out back. They have a Honeywell home security system, complete with a touchscreen display panel.
This living room is the central meeting spot in the house, directly off the kitchen.
Tunnel to Towers was founded in 2001 in honor of fallen firefighter Stephen Siller.
Siller was off duty when the first plane hit the World Trade Center, but he joined other first responders and lost his life in 9/11.
Tunnel to Towers presented Rob with a piece of steel from the World Trade Center.
This is Rob and Pam's bedroom.
It has smart fans, lighting and much more.
Their bathroom was a highlight of the house tour.
Not only does it have stunning tile work and modern fixtures, but it also has some hidden smart tech.
Like the hallway bathroom, this bathroom has the same smart toilet.
They have a couple of guest bedrooms, too.
Their house is a ranch-style, with everything on one level.
There's also an office area.
Rob Jones earned a Purple Heart for his service.