The gap between sci-fi gadgets that are forever just a dream on a screenwriter’s or novelist’s minds and those that become real is narrowing. While we don’t yet have a “Beam me up, Scotty” device for humans, other developments have become real in the last few years or continue to be developed at the time of writing.
Here are six sci-fi gadgets that we’re excited about because they’re finally becoming a reality.
Thinner Devices & Wireless Charging
If you think back to Star Trek devices, some communication devices, or pads, as they referred to them, were paper thin. While Scotty tried talking into an upside-down mouse in one Star Trek movie before an audio recognition command module was a thing (Hello, Siri), phones and tablets continue to get a svelte appearance.
What’s currently holding back these devices isn’t the screen technology, but the batteries. While their capacities have gradually improved, so has the memory-hungry nature of the devices. Also, the need for better runtime is very real.
Wireless charging that was seen in the Stargate Universe TV series is real now too.
Laser Firing
Various armed forces have been actively developing laser weapons as a means of defense and perhaps offense too. Featured in much popular sci-fi fiction, including Star Trek and Star Wars, finally some headway is being made.
Lockheed Martin has performed tests of a prototype device that uses a laser to destroy a drone flying overhead. Dubbed ATHENA in case you were worried the laser wasn’t friendly, its 60 kilowatt beam was enough to get the job done.
In the meantime, sound emanating devices have been fitted to ships. They let out a piercing sound which make sailors wish to avoid the boat and move away. When aimed at an incoming vessel, they’re less likely to either ram it or attempt to board it. Instead, they turn around and head away from the ear-splitting audible.
Foldable and Curved Displays
While curved edge displays have been around since the Samsung Edge variant models of their Galaxy S-line of premium smartphones, foldable displays are fairly new. The technology for folding screens was present a few years ago, but it’s taken a while to make them thin enough and affordable to manufacture.
The best foldable display is tough to figure out with many models appearing on the market. Models from Huawei, Oppo, Samsung, LG and Xiaomi, to name just a few, indicate that this is a trend that’s here to stay. At least one model features a roll-able phone, rather than a foldable one, in case you want to slip the phone into a cigar holder, as you do!
The issue wasn’t so bad with curved TV screens which became a thing in the last two years or so, but they aren’t required to bend and flex at will. They are ideal for the true cinematic experience at home.
Self-driving Cars
Self-driving cars are in the almost there category now. Seen back in the original Total Recall movie in 1990 with happy go lucky Johnny Cab, self-driving cars were just a dream.
Now, with new self-driving laws coming into the law books to deal with their management and the possibility of accidents, the debate about cars moving without a driver at the helm is under review in many states. Some states will require a driver to be present even if the car is driven by computer whereas others are more lenient once the self-drive vehicle has passed road safety tests.
For anyone interested in automated vehicles, robotics and AI, studying for a masters in electrical engineering online at Kettering University is their next best move. To acquire the latest knowledge on this emerging engineering speciality, be at the forefront of this well-remunerated industry.
Personal Air Pollution Sensor
The Flow portable air pollution sensor by Plume hangs off a belt loop, attaches to your bike’s handlebars, or on your handbag. It takes PM 2.5 measurements (particles small enough to be breathed into the lungs and into other internal organs that can have damaging long-term effects). These readings are fed to a mobile app that tracks where you’ve been and what the pollutant level was in each location as you passed through it.
The small device is capable of intaking air from all around you, transmitting data via low-energy Bluetooth, recharges after 24 hours of use with a USB Type-C connection, and runs automatically.
No longer are you powerless with the air you breathe and how safe it is for you. With unsafe areas, you can remove yourself. Relying on centralized air quality systems within buildings and being alerted honestly when levels hit dangerous levels is a thing of the past.
Autonomous Passenger Drones
The idea of an autonomous passenger drone might make people as queasy as planes that fly themselves. However, few people realize that jumbo jets now fly on autopilot and can often land on their own too. The pilots are there to override the autopilot computer when it’s either acting improperly or where manual intervention is recommended or required by regulations. These days Drone Videos come well equipped, with 4K cameras and obstacle avoidance technology, to name a few.
The EHang 184 is space-age passenger drone, which seems highly improbable, but is now a reality. It’s boasted as the most eco-friendly, aerial vehicle for short to medium distances. Like flying the USS Defiant shuttle over the Golden Gate Bridge, this Trek-like aerial wonder uses multiple props on all four corners to give it lift and stability, and DeLorean style side doors that open upwards.
If your budget doesn’t yet stretch to an EHang 184 in your driveway, then try a regular drone instead. You can even get a drone pilot’s license if you want to get official.
The acceleration in clever ideas going from science fiction to the drawing board and into reality is gratifying. It’s now becoming genuinely difficult for a screenwriter or novelist to come up with a plausible futuristic scenario that seems space-age enough to be believable that it’s 100+ years into the future. But that’s their problem. For you, it’s a fascinating time to be alive with so many new inventions; it’s a geek’s paradise. Try to keep up!
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