Technologies

The world is improving every day, inventing and discovering something new, and without these achievements, we would not have made it that far.

Scientists, researchers, developers and designers from all over the world are trying to implement what will make our life easier and more interesting.

Here are some technologies the future that take our lives to a completely different level.

New technologies of the future

1. Biocoolers

A Russian designer has proposed the concept of a refrigerator called the "Bio Robot Refrigerator", which chills food using biopolymer gel... It has no shelves, compartments or doors - you just stick food into the gel.

The idea was proposed by Yuri Dmitriev for the competition Electrolux Design Lab. The refrigerator uses only 8 percent of the home's energy for the control panel and does not need any energy to actually cool it down.

Refrigerator biopolymer gel uses light generated at a cold temperature to preserve food. The gel itself is odorless and non-sticky, and the refrigerator can be wall or ceiling mounted.

2. Super-fast 5G Internet from drones with solar panels

Google is working on solar-powered drones that serve up ultrafast internet in a project called Project skybender... In theory drones will provide Internet services 40 times faster than 4G networks, allowing you to transfer gigabytes of data per second.

The project envisages the use of millimeter waves to provide the service, as the existing spectrum for the transmission of mobile communications is too full.

However, these waves have a shorter range than the 4G mobile signal. Google is working on this problem, and if all the technical problems can be solved, the Internet of unprecedented speed may soon appear.

3.5D disks for eternal storage of terabytes of data

Researchers have created a 5D disc that records data in 5 dimensions that persist for billions of years. He can store 360 terabytes of data and can withstand temperatures up to 1000 degrees.

The files on the disk are made of three layers of nanodots. The five dimensions of the disc relate to the size and orientation of the points, as well as their position within the three dimensions. When light passes through the disc, the dots change the polarization of the light, which is read by the microscope and polarizer.

The Southampton team that is developing the disc was able to record the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Newton's Optics, Magna Carta and the Bible on the disc. In a few years, such a disk will no longer be an experiment, but will become the norm for data storage.

4. Injection of oxygen particles

Scientists at Boston Children's Hospital have developed oxygenated microparticles that can be injected into the bloodstream allowing you to live even if you cannot breathe.

Microparticles are composed of a single layer of lipid capsules that surround a small oxygen bubble. The 2-4 micrometer capsules are suspended in a liquid that controls their size, as larger bubbles can be dangerous.

When injected, the capsules impinge on red blood cells and transmit oxygen. Thanks to this method, 70 percent of the oxygen was introduced into the blood.

5. Underwater transport tunnels

Norway plans to build the world's first underwater floating bridges at a depth of 30 meters under water with large pipes wide enough for two lanes.

Given the difficulties of moving around the terrain, Norway decided to work on the creation of underwater bridges. The project, which has already spent $ 25 billion, is expected to be completed in 2035.

There are other factors to consider, such as the effects of wind, waves and strong currents on the bridge.

6. Bioluminescent trees

The development team decided to create bioluminescent trees using an enzyme found in some jellyfish and fireflies.

These trees will be able to illuminate the streets and help passers-by see better at night. A small version of the project has already been developed in the form of a plant glowing in the dark. The next step will be the trees that illuminate the streets.

7. Roll-up TVs

LG has developed a prototype a TV that can be rolled up like a roll of paper.

The TV uses polymer-based LED technology to reduce the thickness of the screen.

Besides LG, other major electronics manufacturers such as Samsung, Sony and Mitsubishi are working to make screens more flexible and portable.

Technological developments in the future

8. Bionic lens for lightRxhuman vision

Canadian doctor is going to conduct clinical testing "bionic lenses" that improve 100% vision by 3 times with an 8 minute painless surgery.

The new lens will be available by 2017, enhancing the natural lens of the eye. During the operation, a syringe inserts a lens with saline into the eye, and after 10 seconds, the folded lens is straightened and positioned over the natural lens, completely correcting vision.

9. Spray clothes

Spanish designer Manel Torres invented the world's first spray garment. You can apply the spray to any part of the body and then remove it, rinse it off and wear it again.

The spray is made from special fibers mixed with polymers that give the fabrics elasticity and durability. This technology will allow designers to create unique garments with original designs.

10. Portraits derived from DNA

Student Heather Duy-Hagborg creates 3D portraits from DNA found on cigarette butts and chewing gum outside.

She enters the DNA sequences into a computer program that creates a human image from a sample. Usually in this process a 25-year-old version of the person is handed out. The model is then printed in full size 3D portraits.

11. Shopping in virtual reality

One of these stores was opened at a train station in South Korea, where you can make an order by taking a photo of the barcode and your purchases will be delivered home.

Store chain Homeplus installed six door-screens with life-size images of shelves with goods that you would buy in a supermarket. Each item has a barcode underneath that can be scanned and sent using the app.

You can place an order at the station on your way to work and the goods will be delivered to your home in the evening.

12. Unmanned vehicles

Expected that by 2020 there will be about 10 million self-driving cars, which will reduce the number of deaths by 2,500 between 2014 and 2030.

Many car manufacturers have already started implementing some automatic driving features in their vehicles.

There are also many companies trying to develop technologies for self-driving cars, such as Google, which announced a prototype self-driving car. A fully autonomous vehicle is expected by 2019.

13. The city under the dome

Construction is underway in Dubai shopping center called "Mall of the World", covered with a retractable dome which controls the climate inside and provides air conditioning.

The complex will occupy an area of ​​4.46 km2 and will include a large beauty and health center, a cultural and entertainment area, hotels with 20 thousand rooms and much more. It will be the largest shopping mall with an indoor theme park.

14. Artificial leaves that convert carbon dioxide and sunlight into fuel

Scientists have developed new solar cells that convert carbon dioxide in the atmosphere into fuel using the sun.

While there have been many attempts to convert carbon dioxide into something useful, a real method has been developed for the first time. Unlike other technologies that require precious metals such as silver, this method uses a tungsten-based material that is 20 times cheaper and 1,000 times faster.

These solar cells use carbon dioxide from the atmosphere to produce syngas, a mixture of hydrogen gas and carbon monoxide that can be directly burned or converted into hydrocarbon fuels.

Technologies of the near future

15. Plasma force field that protects cars from accidents and collisions

Boeing has patented a method to create a plasma field by rapidly heating air to quickly absorb shock waves.

The force field can be generated using lasers or microwave radiation. The created plasma is air heated to a higher temperature than the surrounding air, with a different density and composition. The company believes it will be able to reflect and absorb the energy generated by the explosion, protecting those inside the field.

If the technology can be implemented, it will be a revolutionary development in the military field.

16. Floating cities

A floating ecopolis, named Lilypad, was proposed by architect Vincent Callebaut for future climate refugees as a lasting solution to sea level rise. The city can accommodate 50,000 people using renewable energy sources.

Google Glass is a smart glasses from the search giant. They became available back in mid-2014. The only reason this technology still hasn't become popular is the price. If you want to buy smart glasses from Google, you have to spend $ 1,500.

But don't discount smart glasses. Once upon a time, not everyone could afford cell phones either. Titans like Microsoft and Sony are working on their devices. This means that in the near future you will be able to watch videos of cats during your morning run.

2. Smart Data

Automation is one of the main tasks that modern technologies solve. While most of the processes are automatic these days, we have to do some of them manually. For example, add information to the contact list on the phone. You probably won't have to do this yourself soon.

RelateIQ is already working on a technology that will create a contact based on information about your current contact list, mailbox, messages. In the end, all you need to do is give the name of the person. All information will appear on your phone.

3. Wearable electronics

Smart glasses and watches are devices that connect us to the outside world. But there are also technologies that connect us to our body. Large scientific institutes, corporations and small companies are engaged in their development. We are talking about headphones that measure heart rate, lenses that track blood sugar levels, and with NFC technology.

As soon as developers can make such gadgets available, the market will be filled with various implants that will read important information in real time and display it on the same smart glasses.

4. Smart home

This technology has already become a reality. Refrigerators tell you which foods are running low, and the oven can be controlled using your smartphone.

In the future, the oven will learn to reheat food while you drive home, and the refrigerator will order the food itself. At this time, you will be able to focus on more important matters.

5. Virtual reality

The Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, and PlayStation VR are all-new gaming experiences. Of course, science fiction writers have been flirting with the topic for a long time, but who seriously thought about it?

Game publishers and developers are spending multi-million dollar budgets to bring us new VR experiences. VR devices have room to grow: they are cumbersome and wired, but a start has been made. Soon we will be able to go anywhere in the world without leaving home.

6. Holographic images

Remember the holographic interfaces in Star Wars and Minority Report? Now this technology no longer seems to be something fantastic.

The scope of holographic projections is not limited to games and media. Imagine contact lenses that project an image onto the retina of the eye. People with vision problems will be able to see better without surgery.

7. Neurointerface

The semblance of a neurointerface has existed for a long time and is successfully used in medicine. Quadriplegics - people with complete paralysis of the body - talk using a neurointerface using a computer.

Of course, the technology is far from perfect. However, with the development of neurotechnology, a paralyzed person will be able to return to society and live a full life.

Food delivery using a one-stop service

The globalization of the Internet has reached incredible proportions. You can get access to the Internet almost anywhere in the world, and if the large-scale project of Elon Musk is successful, the Internet will be available everywhere.

Unsurprisingly, services like Uber are popping up. This is a taxi that you can call in almost any country using a mobile application. More recently, Uber has also taken up food delivery. There will be even more universal services soon.

9. Digital distribution

The world is changing rapidly. Some 15 years ago, we could not have imagined that we would no longer have to keep stacks of discs with music, films and games at home. Steam and online cinemas have replaced our shopping trip. Instead of a new album of your favorite band, it's easier to buy a subscription to a music service at the same price and get access to the entire discography.

Of course, digital distribution has not reached its climax, and many continue to use physical media, but such people are becoming less and less.

10. Robots

Robotics has made great strides over the past 10 years. Of course, more than a dozen years will pass before the appearance of terminators, but machines capable of shouldering heavy and monotonous work on their titanium shoulders will appear in the near future. For example, thanks to Boston Dynamics.

Solar panels are an environmentally friendly source of renewable energy

In the next 30 years, almost certainly, we will completely switch from fossil energy sources to renewable ones. Oil and gas will eventually run out, but solar and wind energy will not. In addition, solar panels are much more environmentally friendly.

The ever-growing volumes of internet traffic are driving the development of mobile networks. Messengers, video calls, 4K video and streaming services require new data transmission technologies, so the emergence of 5G internet is inevitable in the near future.

14. Artificial intelligence

It’s just a matter of time before it’s full-fledged. This will be a turning point in the development of human civilization, after which the world will change forever.

In fact, artificial intelligence no longer seems to be something out of reach, especially with the rapid pace of development of neural networks. Machine learning has already reached a high level and is capable of many things, including writing scripts, books and songs.

Of course, programs do not work as well as we would like, but the neural network is a great example of our moving in the right direction.

15. Graphene

In 2004, the first graphene sheet was released. Since then, scientists have been trying to find a way to mass-produce the material.

Graphene is a versatile material with exceptional properties. It can be used in almost all areas of our life. High-speed data transfer, water filters and even an unbreakable smartphone body are all graphene. When the production of this material is put on stream, another industrial revolution awaits us.

Every year, many scientific discoveries are made in the world that can qualitatively change the life of people on the planet. Today technology has a social responsibility - batteries that can power entire villages, artificial intelligence, the Internet of things.

All these ideas were already known, but only in 2017 reached the level of maturity at which their impact on our lives becomes noticeable.

Ultra-high capacity batteries

The world has long been ready to give up oil products in favor of electricity. The last frontier of this technological war is reliable and capacious batteries capable of storing a sufficient amount of charge. Recent research in this area allows us to hope that in a few years, batteries using sodium, aluminum and zinc will be able to provide people with cheap and affordable energy. This will affect not only electric vehicles - the cheaper the technology for storing electricity, the higher the standard of living of the third world countries will be. And this means affordable education, cheaper food and many other things that humanists can only dream of.

Nanosensors and the internet of nano-things

The Internet of Things is a global network of devices equipped with embedded technologies to interact with each other or with the external environment. Technology is capable of fundamentally changing the idea of ​​a person's role in the world, due to his exclusion from part of actions and operations. Nanosensors and medical nanotechnology will help accelerate the penetration of the Internet of Things, which will have a huge impact on the future of medicine, architecture, agriculture and pharmaceutical production.

Blockchain

The blockchain system is an electronic chain with several participants that cannot be broken or tampered with from the outside. This means absolute security of money transfers and more - blockchain can serve a good service in all areas of life that require accuracy and security. This can be voting, data protection and any financial transactions. The economic and social potential of blockchain technology is capable of radically changing global markets and abandoning the usual currency.

2D materials

GRAPHENE

Two-dimensional materials (2D materials), which are only one atom thick, have been actively studied in recent years. The most famous and studied representative is graphene. But besides it, there are other two-dimensional materials, such as: silicene, germanene and others. They can be used in a variety of technologies, from water and air filtration to new generations of batteries.

Unmanned vehicles

Self-driving cars have yet to be legalized in most parts of the world, but their potential to reduce pollution, boost economies, and improve the quality of life of older people and other sectors of society is enormous. Therefore, the largest automakers in the world are now actively working on autonomous technologies that make it possible to turn a driver into a passenger.

Medical Chips

The Internet of Things is also changing medicine. Miniature sensors installed on vital organs of a person allow remote diagnostics of health, compile statistics and forget about queues at the hospital.

Solar cells

This new photovoltaic material offers three improvements over classic silicon solar cells: it is easier to make, it can be used almost anywhere, and it generates energy more efficiently.

Open ecosystem of artificial intelligence

Digital assistants, neural networks and chatbots will soon take on a wide range of tasks previously owned by humans. Already now, artificial intelligence, with proper tuning, is able to maintain a completely meaningful dialogue with a person. In 10-20 years, artificial intelligence will become much closer to the average inhabitant of the Earth - it will track finances, advise on medical issues and will work as a production dispatcher.

Optogenetics

The use of light and color to record the activity of neurons in the brain has been known for several years, but this year scientists have made a breakthrough. This means that optogenetics will soon become another method of combating disorders and diseases of the brain.

Metabolic engineering systems

Advances in synthetic biology, systems biology, and evolutionary engineering are gradually blurring the boundaries between the living and inanimate worlds. The creation of durable materials, fuels and renewable energy sources is the goal of this branch of science, designed to reduce the cost of technology thanks to natural resources.

The field of information technology is an environment in which changes are occurring at a rapid pace. Technology changes, new software and programming languages ​​appear, and therefore IT specialists need to constantly adapt to new working conditions. But what will the situation in this area look like in a few years, will it remain so in demand?

The life of a modern person is so closely connected with information technologies that the future seems impossible without their existence. Nevertheless, futurists point out that some professions in the IT field will lose their relevance, but at the same time new professions will appear.

A Russian venture capital company, the Russian Association for Electronic Communications and the PRUFFI recruiting agency conducted an analytical study “Human Resources in IT and Innovation”. The experts identified areas in IT, in which new specialists will appear. Among them:

• computational linguistics and artificial intelligence;
• robotics and software for robots;
• 3D design and printing;
• augmented and virtual reality;
• cloud technologies;
• IT in education;
• Smart cities;
• bioinformatics and IT in medicine;
• informatics in statistics (data science);
• "Internet of things".

Indeed, in the future, information technology will become closely intertwined with many other activities. In addition, there are those among IT specialists who are proficient in several areas at once, for example, programming and 3D design. Such generalists are especially in demand in the regions and small start-ups. But it is worth noting that some employers prefer to hire, on the contrary, highly specialized specialists.

Sergey Erokhin, Dean of the Faculty of Information Technologies of MTUCI:

- The main direction of development of IT services in the Russian Federation and around the world is the implementation and distribution of cloud services. The abbreviations SaaS, PaaS and IaaS, which were exotic last year, are now familiar to almost every IT specialist. Companies are buying their own servers and software less and less and more and more using the rental of appropriate products. Another steady trend is the use of the BYOD (Bring your own devices) concept, when company employees use their own devices (usually mobile phones, tablets, etc.) to solve production problems. Previously, users were content with only reading mail from mobile devices, but now software manufacturers release special versions of application packages designed to work from mobile devices via unsecured Internet channels.

Veronika Gedgafova, HR Director of Mail.Ru Group:

- From the point of view of the further development of professions in the IT market, two important trends can be noted. On the one hand, the need for highly specialized personnel (for example, developers for specific platforms) continues to grow. On the other hand, there is an obvious general orientation towards the development of cross-platform products and, at the same time, the demand for “broad profile” specialists who are equally well versed in different areas. For example, in addition to a narrow specialization related to programming in a particular language, a person must have knowledge in mobile platforms and desktop applications. Therefore, the price will include specialists who are able to quickly rebuild, ready to learn new things and constantly expand their own horizons.

Grigory Bakunov, Director of Technology Dissemination at Yandex:

- The line between designers and programmers is gradually blurring. This is due, on the one hand, to the "maturation" of web design, and on the other, to the simplification of programming. At the same time, as the number of quality web products increases, it becomes more difficult to stand out from the crowd. Today it is not enough to create a beautiful product; modern specialists strive to create a unique user experience, and for this it is necessary to combine the knowledge and skills of a designer and a programmer.

Researchers predict a good future for web development, one of the youngest spheres of activity. Skillful website design specialists will be extremely popular among employers, since not only the appearance of the resource depends on web designers, but also whether Internet users will want to visit it next time. And the work of web-programmers completely determines the usability of the site. Web development has already taken a solid position today, and web developers themselves are among the most demanded in the labor market.

A good future awaits the development of applications for mobile devices. The main goal here is to achieve the highest number of app downloads and get into the top of the app store.

The IT sphere as a whole is one of the most promising areas of activity. But, as we can see, some areas are developing more actively here than others. This will become the reason for the emergence of new professions in the future, which means that there will be even more jobs for IT specialists who are ready to constantly develop and expand their professional skills.

The Emerging Technologies List contains some of the most outstanding current developments, advances and innovations in various areas of modern technology. New technologies are technical innovations that represent progressive changes within the area of ​​competitive advantage. There are different opinions on the feasibility, significance, status and economic viability of various new technologies. On many new technologies and their consequences for society, there is constant socio-political discussions.

There is a huge variety of promising technologies of the XXI century, further we will consider three examples from various fields of activity.

Agriculture

1) Agricultural robot or agrobot - a robot used for agricultural purposes.

The main field of application of robots in agriculture is the harvesting period. Fruit picking robots, autonomous driving tractor / sprayer, and sheep shearing robots are all designed to replace human labor. The agriculture industry lags behind other industries in the use of robots because the types of work associated with agriculture are not "straightforward" and many of the repetitive tasks are not exactly the same every time. In most cases, many factors (such as the size and color of the fruit being harvested) must be considered before starting the task. The robots can be used for other crop production tasks such as pruning, weeding / plowing, irrigation and monitoring.

2) Genetically modified food is food derived from genetically modified organisms (GMOs) - plants, animals or microorganisms. Products that are obtained using genetically modified organisms or that contain at least one component obtained from products containing GMOs can also be considered genetically modified, depending on the legislation of the country. Genetically modified organisms acquire some new properties due to the transfer of individual genes into the genome, theoretically, from any organism (in the case of transgenesis) or from the genome of related species (cisgenesis).

3) Test-tube meat, also known as cultured meat or artificial meat, is meat that has never been part of a living, complete animal. Several modern research projects are trying to grow meat in vitro experimentally, although so far it has not come to the production of cultured meat for public consumption. The first step is likely to produce minced meat, and the long-term goal is to grow full-fledged cultured muscle tissue. Potentially, the muscle tissue of any animal can be grown in vitro.

Biotechnology and healthcare

1) Genetic engineering (genetic engineering) - a set of techniques, methods and technologies for producing recombinant RNA and DNA, isolating genes from the body (cells), manipulating genes and introducing them into other organisms.

Genetic engineering is not a science in a broad sense, but is a tool for biotechnology, using the methods of such biological sciences as molecular and cell biology, cytology, genetics, microbiology, virology.

2) Growing organs is a promising bioengineering technology, the purpose of which is to create various full-fledged viable biological organs for humans. While the technology has not been applied to humans, however, there are active developments and experiments in this area. According to the director of the Shumakov Federal Scientific Center for Transplantology and Artificial Organs, Professor Sergei Gauthier, organ cultivation will become available in 10-15 years.

3) Implants (German Implantat) - a class of medical devices used for implantation into the body either as prostheses (substitutes for missing human organs), or as an identifier (for example, a chip with information about a pet, implanted under the skin). Dental implants - a type of implants for implantation in the bone of the upper and lower jaw, which are used as a basis for attaching removable and fixed dental prostheses. There is also the implantation of capsules with pharmacological content, such as the Norplant contraceptive capsule containing hormonal contraceptives.

Energy

1) Biofuel - fuel from plant or animal raw materials, from the products of vital activity of organisms or organic industrial waste.

Distinguishes between liquid biofuels (for internal combustion engines, for example, ethanol, methanol, biodiesel), solid biofuels (firewood, briquettes, fuel pellets, wood chips, straw, husks) and gaseous (synthesis gas, biogas, hydrogen)

2) Ionistor (ultracapacitor, double-layer electrochemical capacitor, EDLC, Electric double-layer capacitor) - an electrochemical device, a capacitor with an organic or inorganic electrolyte, "plates" in which serves as a double electric layer at the interface between the electrode and the electrolyte. Functionally, it is a hybrid of a capacitor and a chemical current source.

3) Nanoantenna (nantenna) is a device for converting solar energy into electric current, built on the principle of a rectifying antenna, but operating not in the radio range, but in the optical wavelength range of electromagnetic radiation. The idea of ​​using antennas to harvest solar energy was first proposed by Robert Bailey in 1972.

Information Technology

1) Artificial intelligence (AI, English Artificial intelligence, AI) - the science and technology of creating intelligent machines, especially intelligent computer programs. AI is related to the similar goal of using computers to understand human intelligence, but is not necessarily limited to biologically plausible methods.

2) Machine translation - the process of translating texts (written, and ideally oral) from one natural language to another using a special computer program. The direction of scientific research related to the construction of such systems is also called.

3) Bulk optical memory is a type of computer memory in which information can be written and read in three-dimensional space (and not in the usual two-dimensional plane, such as in CDs).

This way of storing information is potentially capable of recording on discs comparable in size to compact discs, on the order of a terabyte of data. Reading and writing files is achieved by focusing the laser in volume. However, since the data structure is volumetric, the laser beam must pass through other data points to reach the area where it needs to be read or written. Thus, a kind of non-linearity is required so that this data does not interfere with reaching the desired point.