You feel a little upset that you don’t have a flying car yet. That’s understandable. Old sci-fi movies told us a pack of lies. Now it’s time to let go of your negative feelings so you can look forward to actual cutting-edge technology that you could own soon. Promise!
Cars That Drive Themselves
Image via Flickr by Saad Faruque
Okay, so you can’t get a flying car. But how about a car that drives itself?
Google and other companies have spent years developing this technology. Recently, Google said it could make its self-driving cars available to the public within three to five years.
Self-driving cars offer a lot of potential benefits:
• They could make commuting more efficient by letting cars communicate with each other
• They could reduce accidents caused by human error
• You wouldn’t have to stare at your car’s tiny GPS screen anymore
Currently there’s one big roadblock: the government. Nevada, California, and Florida are the only states where self-driving cars are legal. You can visit get a real degree to get a degree that could put you in a position to contribute to this emerging technology.
3D Printers That Can Make Practically Anything
At the moment, 3D printers cost so much that only companies can buy them. Unless you have about 35 grand sitting around, you can’t afford the top models. You can, however, buy 3D printer kits for under a $1,000, but they’re not as big and versatile.
Expect that to change. As more companies buy 3D printers, prices will start to fall. Eventually, developers will have high-quality models that they can sell directly to the public. This tech will likely follow the same history of other devices. 30 years ago, no one could have dreamed that mobile computers would cost so little. Now, practically everyone has one.
International Language Translators That Fit in Your Pocket
Traveling to foreign countries is fun, but it’s impossible to read signs, menus, and other text when you don’t speak the lingua franca. A new app called Word Lens will put an end to that confusion.
Word Lens is a multi-language dictionary that can read printed materials. Just load the app, point your phone’s camera at a sign, and you get an instant translation.
It’s not quite as cool as the universal translator in Doctor Who, but, hey, that’s still pretty impressive.
A Television That Smells
Enterprising engineers have tried repeatedly to create “smell-o-vision,” a type of television that would turn viewers into smellers. Previous versions have simply involved releasing scents into theaters. This new tech take things in a radically new direction.
The smell screen actually releases scents from specific areas of the TV. So, if someone enters the room carrying a pot roast, the pot roast scent will emanate from the part of the screen displayed the roast.
That’s an amazing jump in technology that could spell awesome (or disgusting, or both) news for the future of entertainment.
Are you satisfied with these technological marvels? What other tech would you like to find in your future home?
April 25, 2013 6:04 am
I’m going to buy a 3D printer, print more 3D printers, sell them and become the richest man ever in the history of 3D printing.Not that I would need the money, as I would be fine in my printed house, with my printed wife and family, eating printed food.And just to be a greedy douche,I’ll also copyright the idea so no one else can do it.