One of the things that we like to think about when watching a movie that includes astounding futuristic technology, is that one day it might become possible.
If we take a look back over the last decade it is quite surprising just how much film fantasy has become a reality, and the futuristic gadgets and technology of yesteryear movies that are available in high street shops today.
Technology in today’s world is developing at an ever increasing rate. Scientists and researchers are coming up with so many new innovations that the way we live our daily lives is likely to be ten times different only a decade down the line.
Let’s have a look at some examples of film fantasy that have become, or are close to becoming a reality.
Driverless Cars
Go back to the first ever Batman movie in 1989 when Michael Keaton, who played Batman, called his ‘Batmobile’ to come to his current location. Other films featuring driverless vehicles include Demolition Man, Timecop, The 6th Day, Minority Report, I-robot, Herbie and Cars all.
Today, self-driving cars have become a reality after leading car manufacturer, BMW, stepped up to the plate and produced a car that drives by itself. Labelled as their next generation cruise control, this amazing piece of technology allows the car to follow the curves on a road without any kind of input from the driver.
The driverless car, which is part of BMW’s ‘raft of driver safety innovations’, is not yet one hundred percent hands free. The sensors in the steering wheel will sound an alarm if you take your hands of the wheel while moving for more than a few seconds. However, it was revealed by one of BMW’s technicians that this technology was perfectly capable of allowing a complete and automatic driving experience.
It’s doubtless only a matter of time before this advanced cruise control system is coming to a showroom near you.
Targeted Advertising
In the movie ‘Minority Report’ Tom Cruise, who plays John Anderton, heads into a shopping mall where an eye scan determines his race, age and gender; seconds later he is bombarded with targeted advertising on the walls as he walks past.
There is already digital signage popping up all over the world, so how long before you are ‘scanned’ walking into a bus shelter, only to be bombarded with adds to match your characteristics?
Take Intel India for example, they have already taken a giant step forward in the development of targeted advertising by forming a partnership with taxi companies to display custom, digital signage in the cab, based on the customers destination.
Take a taxi to the Airport and you will be presented with ads about flights, take a trip to the local casino and you will likely be bombarded with gambling related ads.
Gesture Recognition
In the movie ‘Minority Report’, there is a quite a spectacular scene where we see Tom Cruise waving his arms around to flick through images on a huge, wall sized, 3-D computer display. Who would have thought less than ten years down the line this astounding technology is ready to become a reality?
John Underkoffler of MIT’s Media Lab, who created the original mock-up for the movie, spent the following couple of years turning his vision into a reality.
‘G-speak’ is currently under development by Underkoffler’s company, Oblong, and has already been demonstrated at one of the many TED conferences. The days of using mice and keyboards are going to be short lived judging by the stage ‘G-speak’ is currently at. If you imagine a much more advanced version of Microsoft’s Kinect system you can get a small indication of what G-speak will have to offer.
This post was produced on behalf of BroadbandChoices broadband comparison site.