11 replies to this topic

[DonnaFontenot]

For the longest time, we've all wondered why we hadn't yet entered the age of the Jetsons or Star Trek, but I think we're all starting to see the beginnings of those days are suddenly very near. Assuming I have another 25 years or so to live, just based on average life expectancy, I'm excited to realize that I may actually live to see much of that type of technology in my lifetime. Here are just a few of the things that I see as being evidence of this. Some are already well-known; others may be new to you.

Let's start with the obvious:

Google's Driverless Cars: This needs no explanation. We all know about this one. Still, I thought you may want to watch this interesting TED video by Sebastian Thrun who helped build these cars.



Next up:

Controlling a tablet computer with just your eyes: The Eye Tribe creates software that allows users to interact with their mobile device just by looking at it. Activate the screen, scroll websites automatically as you read and play games using your eyes! Here's a little demo.



And now:

Controlling a computer with your hand motions - WITHOUT touching the screen: Leap Motion - For the first time, you can control your computer in three dimensions using just your hand and finger movements and Leap Motion enabled software. Set down that stylus. The Leap Motion controller lets you create onscreen artwork, including 3D images, without any other devices. Whether you’re on a Mac or PC, now you can click, grab, scroll and pinch, using only your hands. Sign on the dotted line without ink or paper. Just point your pen and sign your name in the air. Crush the enemy in your game with your bare hands. All of this movement without ever touching the screen or any other hardware. Just in the air. Sure the Kinect gaming system is very similar, but it's limited to that gaming system. This is 200 times more accurate and will work for all our computers...oh, and it costs only $69.99.



And finally:

A Star Trek-like Medical Tricorder: You know what a Star Trek medical tricorder is. Enter Scanadu. Scan a body and know what's wrong medically. These kinds of things are happening now...and costs only about $150. They aren't as complete and complex as Star Trek's model, but watch the video to see just how far along they are. So freaking cool.



Now sit back and imagine what we'll see 25 years from now.

[EGOL]

Here's one.... woman controls robotic arm with her brain.
http://www.wired.com...ol-robotic-arm/


Wireless electricity...
http://www.ted.com/t...lectricity.html

Edited by EGOL, 26 December 2012 - 09:27 PM.

[EGOL]

This one... Controlling a computer with your hand motions... Reminds me of the "clapper" Christmas gift from about 20 years ago. Turn your lights off and on with the clapper. lol

[Walter]

Wow, that Leap Motion looks great. I'm a little concerned about per-ordering software, but once it comes out I'm definitely going to get that.

Thanks Donna,

Walter

LoL@Egol, for the record I never bought a clapper

Edited by Walter, 26 December 2012 - 10:10 PM.

[EGOL]

LoL@Egol, for the record I never bought a clapper

One of my kids wanted one.... It didn't work very well. lol

[chuckfinley]

Wireless electricity...
http://www.ted.com/t...lectricity.html

That's amazing. I knew this was possible, just didn't know how to make it possible

Think I should get a royalty for that?

[TheAlex]

Some of it is quite exciting, but some is equally scary.

This is a bit of a diversion and rather apocalyptic but I think all this technology will lead to the end of the human race. It'll get to the stage that we'll rely on it so much that if it goes wrong, we won't be able to cope. There are already youngsters who can't survive if they don't have their mobile phone; they're lost without it (literally - they've never had to find their way anywhere). Some people are incapable of meeting up with someone who doesn't own a mobile phone these days.

The Angkor Civilization tried to control water with a hugely advanced network of canals and dams - it was successful for a while and their population grew and grew...until successive droughts and floods thwarted them. There are a few examples of civilisations that became so advanced it led to their decline.

I'm not saying technological advancement is a bad thing, but us humans rarely look at the big picture. Everything is short-term gain for the rich, without concern for the long-term and poor. Biofuels are a recent example.

[chuckfinley]

This is a bit of a diversion and rather apocalyptic but I think all this technology will lead to the end of the human race.

It will all end sometime -- the sun will only last for another 4.5 billion years.

[TheAlex]

It will all end sometime -- the sun will only last for another 4.5 billion years.

Indeed, but I think we'll kill (at least most of) ourselves off well before that.

[bobbb]

A technological advance I would like to see is those hosting companies web servers (*NIX) being able to lose their case sensitivity so that when we start talking to them (and we will), like in Star Trek, we can simply say get the "letter" to mom and it will recognise any of the 64 various ways of spelling letTer as we humanoids do. "Umm computer: letter to mom with the second t capitalised".

Hey TorValdS: letter = letteR = leTTer = LettEr. Bill figured that out 30 years ago.

[InfiniteLoop]

Leap Motion certainly looks cool, but it's almost the predictable next rung in the evolutionary ladder after Xbox Kinect. They've already demoed holographic displays with input capabilities. There are 3D printing machine prototypes that can essentially replicate themselves. One thing that I read as a kid that isn't already in the news or getting demoed somewhere is terraforming Mars. Otherwise its just getting really hard to write science fiction these days.

Edited by InfiniteLoop, 08 February 2013 - 02:46 PM.

[Ken Fisher]

Otherwise its just getting really hard to write science fiction these days.

 

Plenty of goofy monsters haven't been created yet. Don't forget more vampire species... I love science fiction but they take it overboard with that stuff especially on the Syfy channel