Photo credit: http://21cy.org
We’ve come a long way. From civilization’s earliest, to the latest cutting-edge technologies, innovators are constantly looking for ways to bring creations to greater heights.
We see many innovations being built and tested over the last few decades that have revolutionized the world.
Here are our top 5 picks for up-coming innovations that could change the world forever.
#1 – Powered Exoskeletons
Photo credit: Ekso Bionics, as featured in http://sea-globe.com
These bionic exoskeleton suits were initially created to help soldiers carry heavy loads. Manufactured by Ekso Bionics, the suit is now being channeled toward helping victims who have lost their ability to walk.
Rehabilitation clinics across the United States have begun implementing the electronic suits help stroke patients, and those with spinal cord injuries to get back on their feet.
How does it work? The suit gets strapped onto a patient’s legs and a brace around the waist. The are able to get up with the help of two crutches for the arms. Weight sensors help in terms of weight shifting – when a patient moves forward, the device is triggered and it makes a step.
The suit, although available for rehab and clinical centres, is not available for personal purchase yet.
# 2 – Vertical Pink Farms
Photo credit: http://www.bulbs.com.cn
We’ve all heard about greenhouses, but what about pink ones? Pinkhouses are a new method of growing crops indoors, using only 2 types of light – red and blue (which emits a magenta-pink wave), rather than the entire spectrum of white light, which is traditionally used in indoor farms.
By just low-energy LED lights, indoor farms are able to cut their power costs into half. Crops have also been reported to grow 20 percent faster because of the correct utilization and combination of lights used that promotes healthy growth.
# 3 – Cultured Meat
Photo source: http://www.tovima.gr
Imagine eating meat that was cultivated in a lab. Yeap, you heard me right. Researchers and business working full steam toward this innovation believe that lab-made meat may be a healthier choice, environmentally more friendly.
The meat is produced In Vitro, in a cell culture, rather than from an animal, using “tissue-engineering” technology. First, some cells are taken from a farm animal and multiplied in a nutrient-rich medium. The cells are then attached to a sponge-like apparatus and bathed with nutrients.
Scientists are able to modify the size and and protein content of the cells by mechanically stretching them. The end product are cells that are ready to be harvested, cooked, and consumed as processed meat.
Cultured meat is not commercially available yet and some sources quote seeing a release in the next few years, and apparently, it tastes like just the real thing!
# 4 – Cryonics
Photo credit: http://www.stuff.co.nz
Think mummification – the ancient Egyptian process carried out so that the deceased could come and reclaim their bodies when it is time to enter the afterlife. Creepy? Not really. With Cryonics or cryogenics, you are able to lie in a freezer after death in hopes of being revived when technology is advanced enough to able to bring you back to life.
Not everyone’s cup of tea but for approximately $200,000, there’s a chance of being woken up 50, 150, or even 1000 years down the line.
# 5 – IoT: The Internet of Smart Things
Photo credit: www.vecteezy.com
The world as we know it would soon be recreated. In a remarkable transformation that this “Internet of Things” (IoT) represents, how we interact would completely be revolutionised. Just like how the World Wide Web sought to connect computers to networks, and how that evolved to let people stay connected to the internet and other people, Internet of Things is a concept that will soon see everything being interconnected.
Devices, people, virtual objects, machines, environments, ecosystems being converged to help individuals, businesses, and society on a daily basis.
References: