Technology has the power to do many things, and changing the world is one of them.
We’re privileged to be living in a time where science and technology can assist us, make our lives easier and rethink the ways we go about our daily lives.
The technology we’re already exposed to and accustomed to has paved the way for us to innovate further, and this list of current and future technologies certainly have the potential to change our lives even more.
Here’s our list of technologies that willprobablychange our lives forever over the coming decade and beyond.
1Space Tourism
We can fly to virtually any country in the world without any trouble, but what if we could all one day see the Earth from space?
Companies such as Virgin Galactic, SpaceX and even Amazon’sBlue Origin, want to make it a reality one day, and give us a (very expensive) seat aboard a spaceship to take us into orbit. Passengers on Amazon’sNew Shepard space shuttlewill be taken 100km above sea level, before parachuting back to Earth.
2Human-like robots
A Polish company called Clone has been working on a life-like robotic hand which aims to have similar characteristics to a real human hand including the same size, shape, muscles and skeletal makeup.
TheClone Handis an impressive bit of kit that offers 27 degrees of freedom through the use of a mix of synthetic bones, ligaments and muscles.
The company says that 16 artificial intelligence companies have already ordered the hand and more are expected to follow.
Clone is also working ona full Torsoand with the rise in AI at the moment, it wouldn’t be too much to imagine a world where we’ll eventually have AI-powered machines with human-like structures.
3The colonisation of other planets
We’ve been wreaking havoc on Earth for a long time and the planet can only put up with mankind’s destructive nature for so long.
If we don’t destroy it, we’ll one day outgrow it. Plans are in the works to colonise other planets and Mars will no doubt be the first port of call.
With leaps forward in technology, this vision of the future is quickly becoming science-fact, rather than science-fiction.
4Robots in space and in the workplace
NASA is already sending robotsof different shapes and sizes into space. As technology progresses, this makes sense. Robots don’t need to worry about oxygen to breathe or food to eat and they can be packed full of sensors to send data back to Earth.
The same applies in the workplace. Robots can take on the more difficult, dangerous and dull jobs to save mankind the trouble and risk. They can also theoretically operate more quickly, efficiently and with fewer mistakes too.
5Electric/self-driving cars
Electric carsare nothing new; they’ve been on our roads for some time now and they’re only getting better.
Car batteries are lasting longer, the charging station infrastructure is growing and self-driving technology is being heavily invested in meaning it’s coming sooner than you probably think.
Tesla already has a complex Autopilot mode that can take over some driving controls, but one day car manufacturers hope to let us go completely hands-free.
6Flying cars
When there’s no space left on the roads, it’s not unreasonable to think we might take to the skies. There are already plenty ofinteresting flying car designsthat show this future is a realistic possibility.
Perhaps if it’s not flying cars, we might all have other forms of personal transport -jetpacks, for example, have been a popular pursuit of inventors and thrill-seekers for decades.
7Robot butlers
Chores, chores, chores. Boring and unfortunately necessary. But what if robots could help save you the misery? We already have the beginnings withrobot vacuum cleanersand smart home appliances. Larger, more useful robots are springing up too.
We could easily be living in a future packed full of useful robots helping around the home as butlers, chefs or general dogsbodies.
8Roads over rivers
Space is finite and running out quickly - especially in crowded urban spaces.
This concept shows a future where roads and living spaces have moved out over the waters. When self-driving vehicles do all the work and are fast enough, journeys across the oceans this way might not be unrealistic either.
9Solar panel technology
Solar panels are another technology that has been around for a while, but their future potential is huge.
Not only can they now be hidden in the tiles on the roof of your house thanks toTesla Solar Rooftiles, but some companies are developing ways ofintegrating them into car roofs, where they will be able to power in-car tech or make the battery last longer.
10Hyper-fast trains
Another Elon Musk-backed company,Hyperloopis a high-speed underground transport system currently being built and tested in America. The first route planned will go from Los Angeles to San Francisco. Another route is planning to go from New York to Washington D.C. in 29 minutes rather than the 2 hours 56 minutes it takes at the moment.
Hyper-fast trains that go underground and underwater could revolutionise not just public transport, but international travel too. Imagine being able to speed from one country to another in the same time it currently takes to travel between towns.
