5 futuristic tech ideas that are nearing reality
CGI-powered immersive experiences Rankin thinks Ready Player One called it with its futuristic world of immersive, ultrarefined CGI, or computer-generated imagery. In the book (and later, the movie), Ready Player One characters have access to an expansive virtual reality universe loaded with sophisticated CGI. Lines blur between fantasy and reality as characters dive deep into immersive experiences. Rankin referenced the recent emergence of ‘‘deep fakes’’, or AI-manipulated videos as proof that the CGI technology is advancing rapidly.
‘‘We’re already seeing videos where you look at a video of someone doing something, and that didn’t happen,’’ Rankin said.
Holographic technology
Virtual reality video games are popular today, but Putman sees refined holographic technology gaining more traction in the future.
‘‘VR is so big, but you’re limited by the mask you have to put on,’’ Putman said. ‘‘I think, at some point in the next 20 to 30 years, we’ll be able to at least have a full experience of holographic technology. Maybe not the physical touching you might see in Star Trek, but something akin to that.’’
Bio-mimicry
Bio-mimicry is an approach to design and innovation that looks to the natural world for guidance. For example, architects might study the domes and internal structures of seashells to design the curves of bridges. The idea here is that biology has already sorted out energyefficient and resource-efficient designs, and humans should take note.
‘‘Bio-mimicking technologies are on the forefront now,’’ Millan said. ‘‘We’re going to start hopefully to work with nature more. Incorporating technology with that would be pretty cool.’’
Exoskeletons in warfare
Tech-infused exoskeletons are already in development in the US and elsewhere, both for medical applications and for military use. In warfare, the hope is that exoskeletons can improve the physical capabilities of soldiers, allowing them to run faster, lift heavier objects and relieve strain on the body during physical operations.
‘‘Exoskeletons in military applications are something that are really starting to become a reality,’’ Millan said. ‘‘As well as for people who are paralysed.’’
Genetic modification, refined
Genetic modification is already at work in a variety of the sciences, from pharmaceuticals to agriculture. Whether it’s designer babies or life-altering drugs, Strock sees biology at the forefront of innovation.
‘‘The thing I see coming next is biological sciences,’’ Strock said. ‘‘Genetic modification, preconception testing of biological organisms, and changing them.’’ Time travel
‘‘Within the realm of hard science fiction, we’ve always grandfathered in faster-thanlight travel and time travel,’’ Strock said. ‘‘But . . . there is no rational way we can get to those based on science as we know it today. It breaks too many of the laws of physics.’’
MCT