Virtual world: 10 tech innovations that will shortly change the world

Technology has the power to do many things, and changing the world is one of them.

We're privileged to be living in a time where science and technology can assist us, make our lives easier and rethink the ways we go about our daily lives.

10 tech innovations that will shortly change the world

The technology we're already exposed and accustomed to has paved the way for us to innovate further, and this list of current and future technologies certainly have the potential to change our lives even more.

Here's our list of technologies that will "probably" change our lives forever over the coming decade and beyond:

Space tourism

We can fly to virtually any country in the world without any trouble, but what if we could all one day see the earth from space? Companies such as Virgin Galactic, SpaceX and even Amazon's Blue Origin, want to make it a reality one day, and give us a (very expensive) seat aboard a spaceship to take us into orbit. Passengers on Amazon's New Shepard space shuttle will be taken 100km above sea level, before parachuting back to earth.

Electric/self-driving cars

Electric cars are nothing new; they've been on our roads for some time now and they're only getting better. Car batteries are lasting longer, the charging station infrastructure is growing and self-driving technology is being heavily invested in meaning it's coming sooner than you probably think. Tesla already has a complex Autopilot mode that can take over some driving controls, but one day car manufacturers hope to let us go completely hands-free.

Solar panel technology

Solar panels are another technology that has been around for a while, but their future potential is huge. Not only can they now be hidden in the tiles on the roof of your house thanks to Tesla Solar Roof tiles, but some companies are developing ways of integrating them into car roofs, where they will be able to power in-car tech or make the battery last longer.

Hyperloop

Another Elon Musk backed company, Hyperloop is a high-speed underground transport system that is currently being built and tested in America. The first route planned will go from Los Angeles to San Francisco. Another route is planning to go from New York to Washington D.C. in 29 minutes rather than the 2 hours 56 minutes it takes at the moment.

Augmented Reality

Augmented Reality, or AR, has some incredible potential. It's been around for a while now, in the form of various apps that can overlay information around you and is different from VR because it overlays information rather than simply put you in a virtual reality. It is about to hit the big time thanks to Apple, iOS 11, and something called ARKit. With AR, you can place virtual furniture in your room to see how it will look, play virtual games on the coffee table and get information on buildings around you when you're out and about.

Driverless lorries

Self-driving cars are one thing, but the Transports Research Laboratory (TRL) wants driverless lorries on UK roads in the very near future. The idea is for up to three lorries to drive in convoy, with the lead vehicle controlling the acceleration and braking of the two vehicles behind it. The 'slave' lorries, while still having a "driver" to steer them, would be able to drive much closer together, compared to humans driving, and therefore reduce fuel costs and emissions.

5G mobile connectivity

We may only just be touching on the possibilities of 4G data here in the UK, but 5G is already on the horizon and could offer faster than wired download speeds wherever you are. As you can imagine, fast connection speeds without overcrowding will open up a wealth of possibilities for "connected devices" from everything from home appliances to cars and gadgets we've yet to even invent yet. Qualcomm is one of the major players bringing 5G to market around the globe with its X50 chip. The chip will be capable of download speeds up to 5Gbps and should hopefully make its way into some 2018 or 2019 flagship phones.

Exoskeletons

Robotic exoskeletons are already being used by the military to give soldiers extra strength and abilities, making their job easier, but they could also help disabled people, especially those who are unable to walk or use their arms get about easily too. Prosthetic and robotic limbs are already a reality, and are proving invaluable, but to have a whole robotic body would provide a whole new level of freedom for many around the world.

3D Printing

3D printing is taking longer to take off that many have wanted, but slowly and surely it is working its way into our daily lives. From creating aeroplane and vehicle parts, replacement joints such as hips, or pieces for a board game, it still has huge potential to change our lives in the coming years. The materials being used to print with are evolving too, and now include graphene that is "lighter than air" but 10 times stronger than steel.

Artificial Intelligence

AI is all around us. It's in machines, robots and even our smartphones.

You'll find voice assistants such as Siri, Alexa and Google Assistant already in your phone and they are already going some way to proving just how far AI has already come.

AI could eventually find its way into things like robot servants, writing our news, or even replacing customer service reps.

Let's just hope they don't take over the world!

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