Emerging Technologies: Rideable, robots, cyborg insects and machines that recreate the inner workings of stars. What do these have in common?
They all exist and they’re about to take over the world. The most imaginative innovators have some mind-boggling plans for the future of planet Earth, already underway. From levitating vehicles to real-life symbiotes and robotic sneakers that walk for you. Let’s take a sneak peek into the future with these emerging technologies.
It’s said that some people have a heart of gold, while others have a heart of stone, but what about a heart of 3-D-printed bio-ink? In 2019, researchers at Tel Aviv University created the world’s first 3-D-printed human heart, including blood vessels and chambers.
They used human stem cells with the unique ability to create any body tissue and mixed them with a gel-like “bio-ink” to convert them into cardiac tissue, which was then 3D-printed into the artificial organ.
While the heart produced by Tel Aviv University was only the size of a rabbit’s heart and couldn’t beat autonomously, it’s still a groundbreaking step in the treatment of heart disease. Doctors of the future could simply print functional hearts from a patient’s own stem cells.
While scaling this up for humans and getting the hearts to function correctly
Emerging Technologies: While still some distance away, this promising advancement could reform heart surgeries around the world. Wouldn’t you kinda like to 3D-print your own spare heart? You could name it and keep it on your mantelpiece to freak out guests.
From chariot races to Formula 1 racing, sports have certainly seen great change throughout history. In 2020, Canadian company Exosapien Technologies revealed Prosthesis, the world’s largest four-legged exoskeleton. Standing 14 feet tall and weighing 9,000 pounds, this fully operational, all-electric mech suit can gallop at speeds of up to 21 miles per hour, generating 200 horsepower.
Its creators plan to scale the technology into an International Mech Sports League with trained mecha-athletes racing through complex obstacle courses by piloting their own Prosthesis prototypes.
Future generations might be crowding into stadiums to watch these massive machines go head-to-head in mech racing world championships.
Even if that vision doesn’t play out
Even if that vision doesn’t pan out, giant exoskeleton technology could still have significant implications for the construction industry. Smaller exoskeletons, like the EksoVest, are already enhancing the upper-body strength of construction workers by 15 pounds. Prosthesis would represent a significant advancement, with its industrial-grade hydraulic limbs amplifying the pilot’s strength by 50 times. These giant exoskeletons could pave the way for humanity’s highly mechanized future.
Emerging Technologies
While the prospect of world-changing technology is incredibly exciting, it can also look a little creepy check this out. Nope, this isn’t the Venom-symbiote-come-to-life. This is an unbelievable material, known as ferrofluid Ferrofluid is a fascinating material that acts like a magnetic, solid and a liquid. At the same time, Made up of suspended magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles when there’s no magnet around these particles move freely, giving ferrofluid its liquid appearance.
However, when near a magnet, the liquid reshapes into a spiky formation aligned with the magnetic field lines. The ferrofluid, invented by NASA engineer Steve Papell in 1963 to move rocket fuel in zero gravity, has changed technology since its invention.
Today, ferrofluid can be found in some fascinating applications
Today, ferrofluid is used in intriguing applications such as adjusting electromagnetic fields in loudspeakers, reducing vibrations, and potentially revolutionizing medical science through magnetic drug targeting.
There’s no doubt that Nike and Adidas are top players in the sneaker industry. The City Glider, a high-tech next-generation footwear by designer Frederick Phua, features hydraulic pistons that propel the wearer forward with each step.
The City Glider enables smooth gliding with innovative design and lightweight materials, providing shock absorption to protect joints and reduce foot pain. It promotes walking over driving for short distances to lessen road congestion, accidents, and gas emissions while adding a futuristic touch to your style.
Beyond providing our refrigerators
Beyond adding personality to our refrigerators, magnets are crucial in various aspects of daily life. Their electromagnet counterparts are extensively used in industrial processes, from power transformers to eliminating metal impurities from waste materials and decommissioned structures. These powerful magnets, such as electromagnet cranes, play a vital role in modern manufacturing. Additionally, physicists are harnessing strong magnets to pursue virtually limitless clean energy through nuclear fusion.
Emerging Technologies
In magnetic confinement, hydrogen atoms are heated to extreme temperatures, turning into plasma and confined by an intense electromagnetic field in a donut-shaped tokamak. This is hard to maintain, as the plasma tends to cool after initial fusion occurs.
But how does it kick off initially? In 2021, researchers at MIT developed an electromagnet using high-temperature superconducting materials, resulting in stronger and longer-lasting electromagnetic fields than ever recorded on Earth.
There are few better examples of how humans
There’s no better example of human ingenuity than the advancement of farming technology, particularly aeroponics. This method uses up to 90% less water and promotes faster, healthier crop yields.
The controlled indoor setting of aeroponics enables year-round cultivation, reducing the influence of seasonal changes on food production. Its efficient use of space makes it ideal for urban areas, contributing to decentralized food production and reduced transportation emissions. Advancements in farming technology continue to revolutionize the agricultural industry, offering solutions for food security and resource efficiency challenges.
Emerging Technologies
Not only that, but aeroponic farming has been found to produce healthier crops five times faster than traditional farming. It’s particularly effective for harvesting tubers like potatoes, which, despite normally growing from roots underground, can produce over 10 times bigger yields when grown aeroponically. The benefits of aeroponic technology are becoming ever more important.
Aeroponic farms are versatile and can be located anywhere, even in skyscrapers. NASA has been perfecting an inflatable aeroponic system since 1999 to aid in manned missions to the Moon and potentially Mars by 2050. These units can yield 1,000 bunches of lettuce, herbs, and other vegetables in just 25 days.
They say that beauty is only skin deep
Developed in 2016, DuoSkin is a smart tattoo created by engineers at MIT and Microsoft. It functions as a wearable sensory interface, turning your skin into a Bluetooth trackpad or controller for remotely operating smart devices. These metallic skin computers can be safely applied as temporary tattoos, lasting only a few days at most.
That was until in 2022, researchers at Cornell University devised a more robust, reusable version called the SkinKit. The SkinKit is a collection of skintight computer modules that can be easily attached to almost any part of the body via an adhesive silicon layer. Each module carries a flexible, printed circuit board, preprogrammed to carry out a wide range of customizable everyday functions. Reportedly, SkinKits can act as body temperature sensors, detect illnesses, and serve as safety devices for the visually impaired by providing vibrating signals to aid with navigation. They could also help athletes track their training performance and serve as wearable flashlights for working in the dark.
As the creators of so many insanely sophisticated technologies
Humans may consider themselves the smartest beings, but AI has the power to transform industries worldwide, especially through generative AI. This type of AI employs deep learning to generate new content from large sets of data, including text, images, videos, and audio.
The most well-known instance is ChatGPT, an AI generative tool developed by OpenAI in 2022. This AI is trained on natural language data sourced from the internet and is capable of carrying out tasks such as generating essays, debugging code, and engaging in versatile activities like “Dungeons and Dragons.” ChatGPT has garnered widespread attention, with a monthly online visit count exceeding 1.8 billion. Furthermore, AI art generators such as DALL·E 2 and Midjourney are also gaining popularity.
These advanced programs: Emerging Technologies
These advanced programs can turn regular text into intricate and beautiful artworks, sparking controversy in art competitions and selling for substantial amounts at auction, reaching as high as $432,000.
The impact of AI on the world is significant. Predictions range from unlocking $8 trillion of value annually to potentially displacing 300 million jobs and exacerbating wealth inequality.
Which new technologies do you think will have the biggest impact on the world? Have you heard about any remarkable technologies recently? Let me know in the comments. Thank you for reading!
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