Virtual Reality, including genomics and robotics editing, are among the developments that will change the future according 'MIT Technology Review'.
A small drone flies over a crop field. No need for anyone to control it; the sensors embedded in the flying device allow you to record and transmit parameters such as the salinity and humidity of the crop. The farmer no longer needs to explore every inch of ground planted and his time can be spent how he wants while getting much more information which was once obtained by sight on his computer.
This is just one example of how technological progress changes known reality, just as how the light bulb lit up a society that once lived in darkness. The potential of these drones have not gone unnoticed by MIT Technology Review, which has included them among its selection of the 10 most disruptive technologies of 2014.
A small plane that lightens the farmers’ workload for 700 euros per unit represents an advance in the ability to edit the genome and virtual reality. These two developments have also been selected for publication and, likewise, could lead to a revolution of life as it runs today.
At the end of the year, a Chinese laboratory spawned two macaques whose genome had been previously edited at will thanks to the CRISPR art. This breakthrough could, in the future, be applied to humans to correct defects caused by disease and thus cure them. Meanwhile, the continued improvement of virtual reality helmets that are being developed by Oculus VR could change the way people communicate and bring telepresence experiences that could help the physically disabled, for example.
In the health field, the development of a 3D map of a human brain allows you to complete more detailed studies of this organ; classified as the most unknown part of the human body. Its resolution of up to 20 microns will improve knowledge, not only of its own operations, but also other mental disorders.
Software that enables collaborative work through smartphones designed to ensure maximum privacy possible and chips that emulate brain function are three more advances selected by the company. They all more or less have potential to change current life styles; something more focused on the workplace.
For every field that technology revolutionizes, it will have an impact on the individual every day. Those focused on work can, for example, accelerate tasks to improve efficiency and productivity, and provide more time during which the workers could spend on themselves.
In this sense, 3D imprinting is revolutionizing production techniques evolving from traditional products to biological tissues. Its progressive miniaturization and ability to employ more and more material could lead to the imprinting of organs for transplantation.
The evolution of robotics could also revolutionize aspects both in one’s personal life and some work tasks. Along with the development of software that allows them to develop more and more tasks, creating new, more functional joints extends the possible uses to which these robots can be allocated. More precise robotic legs could allow them to navigate through rough and uneven terrain.
Each technology can generate benefits in several areas, from the business ecosystem to health and personal life. When combined, their potential will be even more amazing. In this context, a robot could be programmed to move to the area of a crop in which a drone robot has detected a specific problem to solve. The farmer could share this information through his mobile phone to alert colleagues who could also discuss it and present new ideas. They also have the ability to meet virtually through the Oculus VR helmet and print a technical solution to their problem.
Since the lighting of the first light bulb, technology has illuminated a society that advances and is constantly evolving. It is necessary to pay attention to its pace in order to anticipate how they will relate, work and heal humanity in the future. Whoever moves ahead with this development will be the one who gains more advantages, and will be more aware of the fact that stagnation is the enemy of progress.
Opinno, as an observer of change and expert in the importance of these developments, cannot stop paying attention to technological developments, which is what will revolutionize the lives and businesses of the future.
