A glimpse into the future of technology
From bendable displays to batteries that last for years, technology is continuously evolving... tech that will be available for consumers sooner than you imagine.
1 INTERNET THROUGH POWER LINESIf you think about it, it is the simplest of ideas. Your home and office is already set up with wires and each room has multiple electrical connections. Instead of using separate fibre cables or phone lines, why not use the existing network of power cables to deliver data? If this is enabled, you will no longer need to find Ethernet wires. You would just plug your computer into the power socket for charging and it would get an Internet connection too. Western Digital already has a product called WD Livewire--it works as an adapter that adds the Net to any existing electrical cabling.
2 WIRELESS CHARGING
Most of us use various gadgets every day, and carry multiple chargers for them. While the majority of devices use micro USB, you still need to plug them in via wires. However, manufacturers have started including built-in wireless charging as an option. With wireless charging, you can just place your gadget on an inductive mat and they will start charging. Set standards like Qi and PMA are already being used in devices and you can easily get a wireless charging mat, or opt for a smartphone case that add a wireless charging feature to your device.
3 FLEXIBLE SCREENS
Samsung and LG already have phones with curved displays. However, the shape of a display is still the main reason behind the shape of most gadgets we use: they need at least one flat surface to fit the flat display. But if the display itself was flexible, you could innovate on the shape and design of gadgets, or even roll them up for storage.Samsung and LG have already demonstrated flexible display prototypes and research suggests that they will draw a lot less power than conventional displays.
4 CAMERAS THAT DON'T NEED FOCUSING
Lytro already has a camera that lets you change the focus in an image after clicking. Since there is no need to focus while taking a photo, the camera works much faster. It captures depth information of the image and all the available light in the frame, enabling better low light images without flash and even 3D images. Smartphone manufactures like Qiku, Xolo and Huawei have implemented similar features by using dual cameras for depth sensing.
5 WATERPROOF DEVICES
Liquid damage is one of the biggest issues with electronic gadgets. While there are some devices that are waterproof, they usually tend to be bulkier and more expensive than their ordinary counterparts. There are many companies that are researching the application of nanocoating on the internal components of phones, which would make them waterproof without adding bulk to the devices.Hopefully, this will be considered by the majority of manufacturers for their devices in the future.
6 FUEL CELL BATTERIES
Battery tech has not evolved in tandem with other technologies. Typically, phone batteries last a day or two at most. But imagine having to charge your cellphone only once a year. This could be possible with the use of fuel cell batteries which generate electricity for much longer than a Liion or alkaline battery. They do this using a chemical reaction of hydrogen and oxygen. Mobile (miniaturised) fuel cells (still in development) are expected to power devices like phones, tablets and notebooks.
7 SELF-DRIVING CARS
Google has already carried out demos of self-driving cars and there are rumours of other companies also trying their hand at developing this technology. These cars use various sensors with a computerised vision system. The data from these is collected and analysed by a software that controls the vehicle. You can just set your destination, sit back and relax. While fully autonomous self-driving cars are still years away, Tesla already offers an advanced autopilot system that can steer and brake for you.
Karan Bajaj
2 WIRELESS CHARGING
Most of us use various gadgets every day, and carry multiple chargers for them. While the majority of devices use micro USB, you still need to plug them in via wires. However, manufacturers have started including built-in wireless charging as an option. With wireless charging, you can just place your gadget on an inductive mat and they will start charging. Set standards like Qi and PMA are already being used in devices and you can easily get a wireless charging mat, or opt for a smartphone case that add a wireless charging feature to your device.
3 FLEXIBLE SCREENS
Samsung and LG already have phones with curved displays. However, the shape of a display is still the main reason behind the shape of most gadgets we use: they need at least one flat surface to fit the flat display. But if the display itself was flexible, you could innovate on the shape and design of gadgets, or even roll them up for storage.Samsung and LG have already demonstrated flexible display prototypes and research suggests that they will draw a lot less power than conventional displays.
4 CAMERAS THAT DON'T NEED FOCUSING
Lytro already has a camera that lets you change the focus in an image after clicking. Since there is no need to focus while taking a photo, the camera works much faster. It captures depth information of the image and all the available light in the frame, enabling better low light images without flash and even 3D images. Smartphone manufactures like Qiku, Xolo and Huawei have implemented similar features by using dual cameras for depth sensing.
5 WATERPROOF DEVICES
Liquid damage is one of the biggest issues with electronic gadgets. While there are some devices that are waterproof, they usually tend to be bulkier and more expensive than their ordinary counterparts. There are many companies that are researching the application of nanocoating on the internal components of phones, which would make them waterproof without adding bulk to the devices.Hopefully, this will be considered by the majority of manufacturers for their devices in the future.
6 FUEL CELL BATTERIES
Battery tech has not evolved in tandem with other technologies. Typically, phone batteries last a day or two at most. But imagine having to charge your cellphone only once a year. This could be possible with the use of fuel cell batteries which generate electricity for much longer than a Liion or alkaline battery. They do this using a chemical reaction of hydrogen and oxygen. Mobile (miniaturised) fuel cells (still in development) are expected to power devices like phones, tablets and notebooks.
7 SELF-DRIVING CARS
Google has already carried out demos of self-driving cars and there are rumours of other companies also trying their hand at developing this technology. These cars use various sensors with a computerised vision system. The data from these is collected and analysed by a software that controls the vehicle. You can just set your destination, sit back and relax. While fully autonomous self-driving cars are still years away, Tesla already offers an advanced autopilot system that can steer and brake for you.
Karan Bajaj
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