The best thing about the Sci-Fi genre is that it transports us to fantastic places and far-away worlds where we get to meet heroes, warlords, Jedi, fight alien invasions and travel through black holes. However, one of many reasons we love Sci-Fi is the technology. Things like the TARDIS from Doctor Who or the the Stargates are pure fiction but a lot of the futuristic gadgets and tech are being developed or even used at this very moment!
1) Smart contact lenses
Remember how big of a deal was Google Glass a few years ago? Imagine having the same functionality in your lenses! Right now special medical lenses are being developed that will measure the glucose levels in diabetics without making them prick their fingers every few hours.
2) Bionics
Bionic limbs, eyes, internal organs… the future is happening right now! These thingamajigs still look big, clumsy and unpolished but give it 20 years and we’ll all be buying new bionic livers and machine oil like they’re auto parts. The cyborgs are coming!
3) 3D printing
You’ve all heard of the magical 3D printers by now but did you know that aside from being able to “print” out your favorite toys, cool memorabilia and even parts for the 3D printers themselves, these babies were modifies to create actual food like mashed potatoes, chocolate, bread and even living cells? I bet we’ll be ordering 3D printed Domino’s in a few years.
4) Self-driving cars
Self-driving Google cars have been around for some years now and the concept clearly works. While they’re not quite ready to roll out on full scale in the US, these cars are already fairly popular in Dubai. Wake up, America, it’s time to set your cars on auto-pilot!
5) Password pill
Are you constantly worried about your online security? Sick of having to remember those pesky birthdays and pet names as your passwords? Motorolla’s got you covered. They’ve developed a password pill. All you need to do is swallow this baby and you’ll be able to sync up with your devices via Bluetooth in just a few seconds, after the acid in your stomach dissolves the pill’s outer shell. The signal won’t stop until the transmitter leaves your body, so you’ll have a few hours if you clench it up.
6) Exosuits
After watching Iron Man and the Avengers everyone and their dogs want a hi-tech suit of flying armor just for kicks and giggles. The US (and probably many other countries) has been developing the exosuits for the military for a few years now and they’re making incredible progress. Some prototypes are already being tested in the Middle East and have proven to be extremely useful. What awaits us in the next 10-20 years – an army of iron men flying through the sky?
7) Modumetal
Modumetal is the closest thing to Wolverine’s adamantium we have right now. It’s tougher and lighter than steel and will soon replace it and other metals. Modumetal’s now being primarily used by the military to create reinforce armor but it will soon migrate to other branches like planes, cars and eventually buildings.
8) Optical camouflage
Ralph Ellison’s novel “The Invisible Man” was one of the first big sci-fi stories dealing with the idea of people becoming invisible but that kind of invisibility will probably remain fiction forever. The scientists did however manage to create something equally fantastic – optical camouflage. It makes you blend in with the environment as if someone set your opacity to 70%.
9) HoloLens
This year’s E3 brought gamers countless nerdgasms like Final Fantasy 7 remake or Bethesda announcing Fallout 4 but the most impressive piece of news was Microsoft’s HoloLens. Although not much is known about how it ticks, you can see how it looks. Needless to say this mixed reality technology will change the way we perceive the world, how we study, work or play in the upcoming years.
10) Solid holograms
Speaking of holograms, a team of brilliant scientists at DNG (Digital Nature Group) figured out a way to use lasers, mirrors and cameras to make truly interactive 3D holograms. They called these tiny lights “voxels” and soon we’ll have all those 3D user interfaces from the sci-fi movies at our fingertips, just you wait!
