Before we get into our list about technologies that will have a significant impact on our future, let’s dive a little deeper. Why do we make technologies, and what drives those engineers who come up with new ideas every day? They don’t make new technologies just to have ‘something new’.
The purpose of each technology in the 21st century is to make things easier. Or in other words, automatisation. The whole purpose of all these new hardware and software is to take up tasks from us and do it faster. Just think about the rising popularity of the home assistants like Alexa. They don’t do something that we would not be able to do; they just do it instead of us. So in this article, we show you the future inventions that will change your life to be more comfortable and straightforward than before.
AI (Artificial Intelligence)
Artificial intelligence is not something new to our community. As I mentioned before, systems like Alexa and Siri are technologies like this. Even Facebook and Instagram use AI to show specific and relevant ads for us. I know that neither of you likes ads, but to be honest, you would rather watch an ad pertinent to you than a total uninterested one. They also use AI to create human-like customer care on different websites. So AI-powered systems and services are more common than you would think.
And with the time, more and more companies and industries are on their way to implement somehow AI in their workflow. But how the AI will look in the future, and how can they help us? Some futuristic movies already showed us. If you saw movies like Her or Jexi. You may have an idea about how an AI-powered phone will look like in the future. They are self-learning and customisable operating systems that can navigate through search engines with light speed and give you useful pieces of information and opinions. Other than this, they could act like a human, have their taste, humour, etc. Indeed, Siri can already tell you some jokes if you ask for it, but they are quite lame.
Also, in the more professional life, they could be used to prevent different accidents or to run a diagnosis on various systems and repair human faults that can cause trouble later on. And the final goal? Maybe someday we could have a fully AI-based home just like Tony Stark had in Iron Man.
Brain-computer interfaces
Imagine controlling your computer or phone just by thinking about certain things. While the idea of a machine reading our thoughts could be far, it’s already been developed. Currently, the system is not able to read full and accurate thoughts, but it can read intentions and feelings. These receptors can do this by reading electrical activity that’s happening on the surface of the brain. And this is not something that futuristic. There is a mini drone called EGGSmart, which is a mind-controlled drone. So who knows, maybe in the next few years we could navigate on the internet without a keyboard and mouse.
Sensors
Sensors can also have a massive influence on our future and the way we live. They are not used only for alarms but your safety and comfort. Like the parking sensors, but they are not new things for us.
In the new 2021 Mercedes S Class, there are a bunch of sensors that are implemented in the interior of the car. Yes, the interior. Ther are sensors that are always watching your eye and where your focus is. During driving, if you’re looking to the backseats, the car can sense it and hit the breaks automatically if there is something in front of you. Or if you’re on your way to open the door but something is getting closer to in your blindspot. The car won’t let you open the door until the view is clear.
Robots
The concept of robots is not far from us. They have been present on TV screens and comic books from ages. But now they could be present in our daily lives as well. And I’m not talking about primitive little vacuum cleaners, but real human-like robots. They are already testing their functionality in some industries.
For example, in casinos in Las Vegas, they already have robots at some poker tables. No wonder they want to try out robot dealers. They are just as effective in the first minute as they are after an ”8-hour shift” if they have power. They can be also multilingual and they can learn fast, which is rather better than educate a new dealer. So next time when you’re playing blackjack at a casino in Vegas don’t be surprised if a robot shows up at the other side of the table.
3D printing
You may think “yeah, I already know about this”. And yes, most of our community has already heard about 3D printing, maybe you ever tried it out. But until now all they used for a 3D printer is to create keychains or minor decorations. But think bigger!
Scientists are already testing out ways to be able to print human organs. This way, the waiting time for patients can be reduced drastically. Also, in China, there is already a building that has been made by a 3D printer. This can save up a lot of time and human energy, and it could be a way to help those in need. So the thing some use it just for entertaining now it’s a tool to save lives.
Augmented reality
Just to give you a starting point on what AR is, have you played Pokemon Go? Well, that’s AR. AR is a world built on ours which can be seen with a help a device. Different furniture companies use this technology to help you imagine how your room would look like with a piece of specific furniture. But things can go further than this.
For example, you could face your camera towards a broken appliance like a laptop or even an engine and the program will analyze it and show you step by step with arrows and highlighted parts how to proceed. It can also be used in education or any other situation where you need real-time guidance.
