Technology and progress never stand still: they are always changing, adapting, and evolving, and often things that seem unthinkable (or even impossible) one year can quickly begin to become possible just a couple of years later.
Laptops seemed like a quirky idea only recently, but now they're pretty much the next big thing heading into the mainstream. The arrival of the Oculus Rift (a virtual reality headset) could test the virtual catapult and make virtual reality more real.
With that in mind, here's a list of 10 exciting futuristic technologies we'll likely see in the near future. While they're mostly still in the very early stages of development or have already reached the intermediate stage of development, you won't see them available for free just yet, but at least now we know they'll eventually become actual products we can see, touch, and use. Without further ado, here's the list.
1. Jet Pack International H202
Jet Pack International is making great strides with its H202 and H202-Z jet packs. As the names suggest, both the H202 and H202-Z are hydrogen peroxide-filled jet packs that will allow aircraft to fly at speeds of up to 123 km/h (76 mph) and a maximum altitude of 76 meters (256 ft).
The higher-capacity H202-Z is still believed to be capable of a maximum flight length of 33 seconds and a maximum range of 1 km.
But it must be acknowledged that this is just the beginning. Jet Pack's international operations have great potential, and the lack of travel time and distance is outweighed by the flexibility and control of the flight, not to mention how compact the cabins actually are.
The Jet Pack International H202 and H202-Z are actually available now, although not commercially: you can build a jet pack yourself if you have $100,000 to spend.
2. Aerofex Aero-X
If you're a Star Wars fan, the Aerofex Aero-X, the real-life equivalent of the Star Wars Speeders bike, is definitely something to keep in mind. The Aero-X is the result of over 15 years of research and development.
Powered by a 240-horsepower, water-cooled engine and two large rotors, the Aero-Xcan hovers at heights of over three meters and speeds of up to 72 km/h. It can also carry up to 140 kg. One can only imagine its potential.
Additionally, as a result of this extensive research and development period, Aerofex claims to have overcome the dangerous clutch effect that can arise from the use of two rotors, ensuring the Aero-X is safe and easy to fly.
The Aero-X is currently available for pre-order with a refundable deposit of $5,000. The final unit is slated to ship at $85,000.
3. Prosthetics With A Sense Of Touch
In March 2013, Dennis Aabo Sørensen had the privilege of testing a new type of prosthetic arm created by a team of European engineers and scientists. Unlike conventional prosthetics, the new prosthetic arm connects directly to the remaining nerves in Dennis's shoulder. This means the "arm" has a sense of touch and is effectively controllable.
Blindfolded tests showed that Denis could indeed distinguish between various objects, such as a bottle, a baseball cap, and a tangerine. He could also apply varying amounts of pressure, allowing Denis to touch, hold, or grasp something.
While this prosthetic arm is indeed a major step forward, it is still far from ready for widespread use: the arm requires electrodes to be implanted directly into the body, and testing still needs to be done to determine the durability of these electrodes.
Additionally, the arm required a lot of computing power and was connected to a laptop; researchers are working to make the processing computer small enough to be integrated into the implant itself.
4. TALOS “Iron Man suit”
TALOS stands for Tactical Assault Tactical Operational Suit. The U.S. Army hopes to see it become a reality within the next four years. TALOS provides ballistic, impact, and fire protection for special forces soldiers.
The goal is to provide these soldiers with better, more mobile, and more versatile protection than currently available. The development of the TALOS suit will be a collaborative effort between universities, government agencies, and corporations.
While a working prototype is still in existence, development is proceeding rapidly. Admiral William McRaven, head of U.S. Special Operations Command, is confident that unpowered prototypes will be ready by June. A goal was also set for August 2018 to test a fully operational prototype.
Don't expect to be able to buy this, of course, although there's every chance that some of the technology here could eventually trickle down into civilian use.
5. Titan Arm
«The "Titan Arm" is the work of a team from the University of Pennsylvania, and it's an upper-body exoskeleton that will help you lift an extra 40 pounds. While it's certainly a far cry from the Powerloader we see—and love—in the Alien films, the Titan Arm was designed with a more modest purpose.
The Titan Hand is designed to help rehabilitate people who have suffered serious hand injuries or blows, as well as provide additional strength and protection for those lifting heavy objects.
To reduce costs, the Titan Arm uses 3D printing technology, allowing prototype development to cost as little as $1,600. This, coupled with the fact that the developers received additional funding by winning the 2013 James Dyson Award, means the Titan Arm could become a common sight in the near future.
6. Super Maglev Train
Recently, Chinese researchers have been exploring the next stage of train transportation beyond Maglev technology. China and Japan already have very fast Maglev trains capable of reaching speeds of over 418 km/h, but the new next-generation Maglev technology, dubbed Super Maglev, will likely be even faster.
Super Maglev is built on the same Maglev technology, but it encapsulates the train in a vacuum tube, further reducing air resistance and allowing for increased acceleration. Researchers claim that such closed-tube Maglev systems could reach speeds of up to 3,000 km/h.
Of course, there are doubts about the feasibility of building long vacuum tubes and keeping them under pressure, but if scientists and engineers can figure this out, we may one day be able to travel long distances faster and more safely than we could ever imagine.
7. Cave2
Cave2 is a hybrid reality environment that allows artists, scientists, and engineers to fully immerse themselves in their research. Cave2 is a 360-degree structure comprised of 72 LCD panels, a 20-speaker surround sound system, and a 10-camera optical motion tracking system.
Using 3D glasses, scientists and engineers will be able to virtually experience and move anything they need, whether it's the human body or planets in the solar system. Cave2 has enormous potential, especially for situations involving large volumes of data that require visualization.
In fact, a recent project transferred crime data from the city of Chicago to Cave2, allowing policymakers and investigators to virtually fly through Chicago accompanied by real-time crime data and information.
8. 3D Printed Food
3D printing has taken the world by storm, and slowly but surely, people are warming up to the idea that it's more than just gadgets. Food, too, is something that can be 3D printed.
German company Biozoon is harnessing the power of 3D printing to create seneoPro, a series of 3D-printed powder mixtures that harden when printed and melt very quickly when eaten. The primary target of this new 3D-printable food is elderly patients suffering from dysphagia, or difficulty swallowing.
This technology will certainly reduce the risk of choking, and the 3D-printed nature of seneoPro means caregivers and family members can easily mix and match powders to create all kinds of dishes. You can also add colorings and texturizers to make the food even more appealing.
9. High Power Wireless Charging
Wireless charging still typically means charging through a pad, not through wires and cables. But if you ask the team at the Korea Institute of Science and Technology, wireless charging can also be done remotely.
The team recently demonstrated a prototype of a new Dipole Coil Resonant System (DCRS), which can wirelessly control devices up to 5 meters away. The DCRS system achieves this using a magnetic field and is apparently powerful enough to charge up to 40 mobile phones and can even control more powerful devices, such as a television.
There's no word yet on how soon we'll see this technology in the real world, but we can already check out Cota, a somewhat similar wireless charging technology that's coming soon.
10. StoreDot Fast Charging Battery
StoreDot, a pioneering nanotechnology company, recently unveiled a prototype for a next-generation battery that leverages its expertise in nanotechnology and energy conservation. StoreDot uses bioorganic "nanodots" that offer increased electrode capacity and electrolyte efficiency.
The science is a bit complicated, but the result is simple: these nanodots allow a battery to be fully charged in just 30 seconds.
Best of all, because StoreDot nanodots are bioorganic, they are much more environmentally friendly, not to mention energy efficient, than many other competing nanodot technologies, which often use hazardous metals and chemicals. They are also apparently cheap to produce, so who knows, we may see ultra-fast batteries in our smartphones for a long time to come.
Bonus: “Back To The Future” Hoverboard
Yes, we know it was a hoax, but for a brief, glorious moment, it felt like all our dreams for the future were coming true: a real, working hanger that wasn't just a science experiment confined to a lab. A promotional video from HUVr and celebrities like Tony Hawk and Dr. Emmett Brown shows it doing everything from skiing to even controlling the canopy from an iPhone.
As it turned out, just a day later, the video and the entire canopy were a hoax on Funny or Die, but the fact that it captured so many people's imaginations shows that, yes, people really do want hoverboards. It's safe to say that if resellers ever figure this out, it will be an achievement no one will ever forget.