Disruption, disruptive technologies, disruptive innovation are the trendy words of the day. Disruption is everywhere and to some it is driving fear into our hearts. Technological changes are now faster than ever, which means that everything we know soon is to be transform beyond recognition. Disruption takes us out of our comfort zones and leads us into the gap of uncertainty. It promises to bring change not only to the way we work and live our lives, but particularly to the way we think. Disruptive technologies have the power of rewiring our brains and expand them to a whole new kind of consciousness. Because what we design…designs us.
4D printing, supercomputers, self-driving vehicles, medical robots and in vitro meat. These are some the technologies that we discussed. But there are a lot more technologies that are fast changing the world, aside from these. Here are a few more disruptive technologies that might just be rocking your world and upgrading your minds sometime really soon.
Gesture control
It is a natural human behaviour to use gestures to communicate with one another. In fact babies will use gestures to communicate ahead of learning to speak. Leap Motion is one of the major companies developing a gesture controlled user interface. This uses gestures in as reliable a manner as using a keyboard. The technology is sufficiently sensitive to work as well as touch screens do as well. Gesture control is envisaged to become a very considerable component in the development of smart homes and smart offices in the not too distant future.
Virtual reality
Some believe that virtual reality is going to be the next huge development in computer platforms. It is natural to assume that the biggest impact that virtual reality will have is in disrupting the market for gaming. However, there are a very sizable number of other areas that may also benefit. These include, as examples, health and fitness, training and simulation and architecture and design. The experience of virtual reality holds the power to transform what we understand as real. “Real,” as author Kevin Kelly writes, “is going to be one of the most relative words we’ll have.” Be ready to get onboard to the age of real virtuality. It doesn’t need to cost much: You can have virtual reality’s immersive experience right now if you get google cardboard. Check out the video:
Augmented reality
Augmented reality is linked to 3D virtual objects. As Tesla explains augmented reality is set to:“… lead a revolution in computer interface design in which 3D objects are integrated into a 3D real environment in three time.”
“… lead a revolution in computer interface design in which 3D objects are integrated into a 3D real environment in three time.”
This can be linked to users, physical objects or the environment. It is believed that the linkage to physical objects and the environment are a little way off and unlikely to occur in the next five years or so. However, the integration with the user could happen relatively quickly. A thought-provoking promise of the augmented reality, is how their potential for immersive experience might have the power to increase the empathy one feels towards the experiences of others. Check out the following video done by Coca-cola, to raise awareness on how global warming is threatening Artic Pole and the lives of polar bears:
Domestic robots
It is perhaps a fantasy for some that they might one day soon own domestic robots that would take care of boring domestic tasks like vacuuming. Actually, research has shown that in reality most people are doubtful about handing in all aspects of domestic life over to robots, as there is concern that if robots malfunction when carrying out tasks that involve risk such as ironing or cooking then there could be a damaging or even life threatening accident. Nonetheless it is anticipated that domestic robots will emerge in the near future, and estimates show that there will be a 400 percent increase in service robots that are utilised for personal domestic use such as vacuuming and cleaning in the following years. But there is still another way to look at domestic robots besides the vision of humanoid creatures. Your washing machine is already a “kind” of robot. What the future will hold most certainly with smartphones and the internet of things, is that your house will become a whole integrated environment, run by automated technologies.
Space tourism
Can you imagine jetting off to space for your holidays? It seems like the stuff of science fiction, but for some at least, space holidays may happen sooner than you might imagine to be possible. Most people will still take regular holidays, but those with a lot of money may take a Space Adventure. In the upcoming few years, Virgin Galactic plans to offer space flights that are suborbital to people that want to experience space. There are also some competitors already emerging, such as Orbital Sciences Corp and Elon Musk’s Space X.
Personalised medicine
Personalised medicine is just around the corner, and with this medical practices, decisions and products are focused on the specific patient being handled at any one time. The use of smart technologies and tracking apps will allow for the collection of data and this can be used to understand what you can do to change your behaviour and health for the better. Personalised medicine has the potential to extend the life span of a human being tremendously. What will happen to our minds, if we can accumulate various decades of health and experience ?
Cryonics
Another science fiction favourite, cryonics is all about preserving humans, and especially their brains after death. The idea behind this is that some day in the future they can be revived to live again. This process is already being developed and is estimated to cost between $28,000 and $200,000. The cost is dependent on the size of the body being frozen and where it is being frozen. Larry King has already signed up for this process, and Ted Williams is also already frozen. Maybe you want to put your spare $200,000 towards your future revival too? Have you thought about it? How would it be to wake up in 200 years? Would that experience be similar to the one explorers had when travelling the oceans to encounter other societies 500 years ago? But in a reverse way as a time travelling machine that sends past mind-bodies into the future?
Maria Fonseca is the Editor and Infographic Artist for IntelligentHQ. She is also a thought leader writing about social innovation, sharing economy, social business, and the commons. Aside her work for IntelligentHQ, Maria Fonseca is a visual artist and filmmaker that has exhibited widely in international events such as Manifesta 5, Sao Paulo Biennial, Photo Espana, Moderna Museet in Stockholm, Joshibi University and many others. She concluded her PhD on essayistic filmmaking , taken at University of Westminster in London and is preparing her post doc that will explore the links between creativity and the sharing economy.
