Roombas and wheeled hoverboards are a long way from the robot maids and flying hoverboards
of sci-fi hits such as The Jetsons and Back To The Future, but while some technologies
seem like very cheap versions of what science fiction has promised us, there are other technologies
available today that are pretty close to the real deal and are absolutely incredible.
Welcome to this episode of The Infographics Show, Amazing technologies you didn't know
already exist!
First up is something every smartphone user is sure to be ecstatic about.
Back when Apple released its Iphone 6, consumers quickly discovered that the phone was very
prone to bending.
Most new owners who couldn't figure out if it was a feature meant to reduce the risk
of damage quickly discovered it was a design flaw.
When their Iphone bent too far, they were left with a very expensive paper weight.
But researchers around the world have been developing flexible screens for the last decade,
and it seems like everything from flexible computers, TV screens, and phones to tablets
you can roll up, fold, and bend like a newspaper are about to hit the market.
A company called Lenovo is already working on the first flexible phone, which they envision
will be worn like a bracelet and can be flattened out straight.
Display manufacturer Visionox recently unveiled a foldable television/computer display at
the Society for Information Displays conference this year in Los Angeles.
In fact, flexible displays have been around for a while - so why aren't they in your pocket
yet?
Currently, the problem with flexible displays is that they still require non-flexible hardware
such as batteries, antennas, and cases.
Basically all the “guts” of your device can't be made to bend and fold without breaking
yet.
But if we got this far, it's just a matter of time before advances in materials science
will allow us to move to the next step, and pretty soon you might be able to fold your
60-inch (152.4 cm) TV screen into your backpack!
Back To The Future showed a lot of promising technology when it came out in the 80s, but
the one everyone thinks of the moment they hear the name Marty McFly is the hoverboard.
While we've recently gotten wheeled self-balancing hoverboards, they're a far cry from the fast,
frictionless levitating hoverboard of Back To The Future.
But fret not because hover technology is finally here.
The Hendo Hover uses electromagnetic energy in a way similar to Japan's famed bullet trains
- opposing magnetic fields push the hoverboard “up” and let a user hover above the ground.
Unfortunately, that means you can't use this hoverboard anywhere but on special surfaces
built specifically for the device, as it requires a strong magnetic field to repel against.
Omni Hoverboards meanwhile use technology similar to the one used for the hoverboard
of Spider-Man's Green Goblin.
Their hoverboards consist of a system of four propellers that rotate at incredible speed
and thus generate lift that is similar to a miniature helicopter.
While these propeller-driven boards can achieve speeds up to 25 mph (40.2 km/h) , brand new
jet-powered hoverboards can reach speeds up to 93 mph (150 km/h) and heights of up to
10,000 feet (3048 meters)!
With computer-aided stability assist similar to some fighter planes, jet hoverboards promise
to take the burgeoning sport of hoverboarding to incredible new heights and speeds.
Most people are familiar with Siri and Alexa, but did you know that physical robots are
poised to become a big part of our everyday lives?
Robots have already invaded hotels around the world.
For example, the Aloft Cupertino in (where else) Silicon Valley is the first hotel in
the US to feature a robot housekeeper of sorts.
Nicknamed Botlr, the three-foot (0.9 m) tall robot makes deliveries for guests across the
hotel, bringing them toiletry items, bottled water, microwave popcorn, and even coloring
books for kids.
Other hotels have been quick to follow suit, with robotic assistants being tasked with
everything from mail delivery to room service requests, luggage handling, and more.
And while most people know someone with a Roomba already, have you heard of its big
brother, the Robomow?
Basically an oversized Roomba, the Robomow keeps yards trimmed up neatly and can even
collect the trimmings for easy disposal.
For inside the home, there's the Litter Robot, a self-cleaning cat porta-potty that keeps
the litter box clean, and if your clothing stinks because of pet smells, there's the
Swash, a miniaturized dry cleaner that can wash and keep your delicate clothing items
clean and wrinkle-free.
Robots aren't just limited to the home, however.
Construction sites around the world are adopting automatic brick layers that can lay 3,000
bricks in one eight-hour shift without taking a single break.
And in the realm of security, robots are already making a big appearance, most notably with
the Knightscape series of robotic security guards being deployed around the country.
While not meant to actually arrest any offenders, the 300-pound (136.1 kg) robots are meant
to act as a deterrent to crime by monitoring and recording would-be trespassers.
By most accounts, they seem to be a success, even if prone to the occasional bug such as
one robot that accidentally drowned itself in a Washington, D.C., fountain.
Google Glass promised a lot - an augmented reality experience that would let users superimpose
the internet over real life.
But in the end it delivered on very little.
Yet the world of wearable technology has pressed on, with smart contact lenses soon coming
to market.
While many manufacturers dream of a Google Glass-like experience in contact lens form,
that technology is likely still years away.
Instead, scientists are developing contact lenses that can monitor a patient's vital
signs without invasive probes or needles and can even relay that information wirelessly
over the internet.
At the moment, Google, Novartis, and a handful of independent researchers are all working
on lenses that could monitor a diabetes patient's glucose levels by measuring the sugar content
in their tears.
Initial results are very promising and some animal trials have already been successfully
completed, but the lenses are for the moment still in the trial phase.
If manufacturers can make a wearable device that fits in your eye, it won't be long before
we might see Google Glass's promises come to life in a much more compact form.
Ever wonder what your dog is thinking?
New brain-monitoring technology might be able to not only tell you its thoughts but also
actually let your dog speak for itself!
Nomorewoof, an independent manufacturer, is busy developing a brain-scanning wearable
device that detects your dog's unique brain activity and translates what it is thinking.
While the device can't decipher specific thoughts, it can translate general ideas by closely
monitoring electronic activity in the brain and then voicing them electronically, making
it possible for your dog to communicate things such as “I'm tired” or “I'm hungry.”
A $1200 version of the wearable device even promises to “learn” your dog's unique
thought patterns over time and eventually develop the ability to translate short sentences
such as “I'm hungry,” or “I don't like this.”
Still in development, the company behind the wearable device hopes to push the technology
even further to enable more complex communication, even allowing your dog to understand your
thoughts!
Cooking can be a tedious and time-consuming task, especially in today's high-speed lifestyle.
However, while most people are familiar with 3D printers by now, did you know that food
printers exist as well?
Surprisingly, very few manufacturers thought to export their 3D printing technology into
the realm of food, giving a very big business opportunity to the Spanish company Natural
Machines.
While mostly for high-end restaurants such as Michelin star winners, its food printers
have repeatedly sold out, and the company is promising new, more home-centered models
in the near future.
Maybe robot chefs will replace the need for food printers altogether.
In 2014, Moley Robotics unveiled a robotic chef made up of two robotic arms attached
to a specialized stove top.
By carefully monitoring and mapping the movement of world-class chefs with 3D cameras, the
robotic arms can perfectly reproduce a top chef's technique and make delicious meals
from scratch.
Made up of 20 motors, two dozen joints, and 129 sensors, the robotic arms and hands can
power through cooking tasks very quickly, but they are designed to move very slowly
so as not to alarm any humans who may be watching it at work.
However, with prices around $15,000, this robotic chef will remain out of most people's
homes for the time being.
So, which of these technologies do you wish you had right now?
Do you know of any other incredible technologies most people don't know about?
Let us know in the comments.
Also, be sure to check out our other video called Worst Days In The History of Mankind!
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See you next time!