From intelligent robots and self-driving cars to gene editing and 3D printing, dramatic technological change is happening at lightning speed all around us. Who would’ve thought ten years ago that we’d have one-touch access to all the information in the world, on our phones?
We have seen great leaps in digital technology in past the past five years. Smartphones, cloud computing, multi-touch tablets, these are all innovations that revolutionized the way we live and work. However, believe it or not, we are just getting started. Technology will get even better. In the future, we could live like how people in science fiction movies did.
Today’s article is about 5 upcoming, real-life products that are set to revolutionize the world as we know it. So, get ready to control the desktop and slice Ninja fruits with your eyes. Get ready to print your own creative physical product. Get ready to dive into the virtual world, and interact with them. Come, unfold the future with us.
-
Age Reversal
The world is set to witness the emergence of true biological age reversal by 2025. Of course, it may be extraordinarily expensive, complex and risky, but for people who want to turn back the clock, it may be worth it. Sounds like science fiction? Trust me, it is real, and the process has already begun.
So, how will our culture deal with age reversal? Will we set limits on who can age-reverse? Do we ban criminals from this technology? These are the questions we will face in a very complex future. One thing is certain, age reversal will happen and when it does, it will change our species and our world forever.
2. Artificial General Intelligence
Hey, we’ve been hearing that robots are coming. But did you know that they are going to eat your job for lunch? Worldwide shipments of multipurpose industrial robots are forecast to exceed 207,000 units soon, and this is just the beginning. Robots like Care-o-bot 4 and Softbank’s Pepper may also be in homes, offices, and hotels. These robots will be our personal servants, assistants, and caretakers. They will make pizza, serve beer, write news articles, scan our faces for diseases, and drive cars. We will see AI in our factories, hospitals, restaurants and hotels around the world by 2020.
3. 3D Printing
This technology is already helping to revolutionise manufacturing by slashing research and development costs. In the longer term, it might mean that instead of ordering online and waiting for couriers to deliver, we’ll just print products at home – maybe even food.
Today, we already have 3D printers that can print clothing, circuit boards, furniture, homes, and chocolate. A company called BigRep has created a 3D printer called the BigRep ONE.2 that enables designers to create entire tables, chairs or coffee tables in one print. Can you actually believe it? You can now buy a 3D printer and print furniture! Woahh!
So, what’s next? 3D printed cars. Yes, cars. Divergent Microfactories (DM) has recently created a first 3D printed high-performance car called the Blade. This car is no joke. The Blade has a chassis weight of just 61 pounds, goes 0-60 MPH in 2.2 seconds and is powered by a 4-cylinder, 700-horsepower, bi-fuel internal combustion engine.
4. Autonomous Cars
These will be equipped with an array of radar, laser, and optical scanners. Autonomous – or self-driven – cars are already at an advanced stage of research where they are fully functional. Trials so far have been incredibly successful – on real, busy roads with other motorists. Google’s efforts at a self-driving car, which having racked up hundreds of thousands of miles on Californian roads, has caused only one accident to date. The accident occurred while being driven manually by a human! Hilarious!
Why is this car safer? You’d be amused to hear this (let us all take it with a pinch of salt). It makes decisions faster than a human, doesn’t check its mobile phone, and doesn’t bring emotions to the table. It turns out autonomous cars are far more considerate drivers than humans. 😉
5. Augmented Limbs
Imagine how incredible it would be to strap on a robotic exoskeleton and suddenly gain super strength! This technology already exists. While these might not have filtered down to the consumer level yet, strap-on exoskeletons are already in wide-scale use in the military, so this isn’t so much of a future technology. It’s right here, right now. In the more immediate future, they’ll certainly have a significant impact on those with a disability of the legs or arms. How long will it be before these things get even bigger, though?
Take a look: While that’s only a tethered prototype, these HULC machines are in use today:
These are just five emerging technologies on my radar. These sound like pure sci-fi, but I assure you they are real. So, are we ready for a world filled with abundance, age reversal, and self-replicating AI robots? I hope so.
Anything We Missed?
There are lots of incredible technologies out there. Is there something we missed? What would you put on this list?
Let us know in the comments!
You might also like these articles:
