When technology really changes your life
Most of us realise that technology is changing the way we work, socialise and learn new things. Smartphones, the internet, social networking, geolocation – all of these things are changing the way that we interact with the world around us right now. What of the next five years? What can we expect from technology and how will that affect us?
According to IBM our future could include 3D holograms of our friends and batteries that run on air. The company, one of the world’s largest IT firms, annually releases its “next five in five” report in which it predicts technologies that are likely to become part of our lives within the next five years including:
Beam up 3D friends
Reminding us of Star Trek, we could in the next five years be “beaming” our friends, relatives and colleagues into our offices and living rooms. IBM says that scientists are already working on technology called holography chat which will allow users to re-create holographic images of friends literally miles away.
3D is already big in televisions, games consoles and even mobile phones, so 3D holograms could well be the next step forward. 3D holographic technology has already been used on television during the US elections when CNN used it to “beam” reporters into the studio for their report.
Taking it a step further, IBM says that its researchers are already working on new ways to visualise 3D data that would allow engineers to step inside designs of everything from buildings to software programs.
Air-powered batteries
All new technology is driven by power, most often in small battery packs. Without batteries none of the current technology that is transforming our world would be viable and the next big frontier for innovation is longer lasting and more powerful batteries.
IBM says that not only will the future likely include batteries that barely need charging, but in some cases devices may not need a battery at all. Instead of the heavy lithium-ion batteries we use today, scientists are now working on batteries that use air to react with energy-dense metal, potentially producing lightweight, powerful and rechargeable batteries.
Along with increasing battery power, scientists are also working on new technology for transistors that could reduce their energy consumption to as little as 0.5 volts. At those levels portable devices may hardly need batteries and may be charged simply be shaking them, much like watches today that charge from the movement of your arm.
Everyone is a walking sensor
With the ongoing miniaturisation of processors our future could be entirely wired. Tiny data collectors and transmitters in your phone, your wallet, even your clothes will allow researchers to collect huge datasets on just about any aspect of our lives. With these datasets they will be able respond to new challenges, fix problems or create new opportunities. Even your Tweets, says IBM, will allow scientists to create more detailed images of the world around us.
Not all of this will be as invasive as it sounds. In most cases cheap, miniature sensors packaged into devices will allow anyone to voluntarily collect and contribute data to global databases including those tracking climate change, water issues, earthquake activity and plant life. In the future we won’t need to be scientists to make a scientific contribution.
IBM’s other predictions can be found in the “Next Five in Five” report.
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