From Robochef to the flying car — my 4 favourite new technologies

While necessity might often be the mother of invention, some of the real leaps forward come out of the dedication, passion and vision of people, from garage hobbyists to big names like Steve Jobs, who are able to look far beyond what we need or want today.

Some of you might remember the long-running British TV programme Tomorrow's World for showcasing some of these crazy ideas - a cordless phone that you can walk around with, anyone (from 1979)? That'll never take off...

Fortunately this spirit of innovation and invention has gone from strength to strength, as seen by the raft of new technology start-ups and crowd-funding initiatives springing up everywhere. Here are some of the latest new technologies that have caught my eye recently.

The drone ‘jetpack’

Topping the 'most wanted' list of the many inventions inspired by science fiction that we're still waiting for is probably the jetpack. Who doesn't want to be James Bond slipping on his jetpack to escape the villains, instead of doing the usual daily commute?

Could the answer lie in drones? Although we've become more used to these unmanned flying devices, one company has developed a quadcopter drone that can (just about) carry a person. The test version of the VertiPod was able to carry a 57kg person a few feet off the ground in a demo in April this year. It is piloted remotely.

This video of the test flight probably doesn't do the technology justice, barely hovering a few inches off the ground, but the company is planning a hexacopter version and will be launching a round of crowdfunding. It does admit that flight time is a major limitation for now at under five minutes, so our James Bond fantasy might have to remain a dream for a while longer. But just imagine those future selfie video clips. 

The flying car

I’ve spoken before about connectivity in cars, but staying with the transport theme, how about your own 2-in-1 plane that folds into a car to get around more easily instead?

It's a concept that's been tried many times before without real success but AeroMobil has come up with what it calls “a plane that can drive”. The latest lightweight prototype made its maiden journey last October - being driven to an airfield by its designer ?tefan Klein before unfolding the wings and completing a 12-mile loop 800 feet off the ground.

It has made a further 40 test flights since then and AeroMobil is now seeking certification from the Slovak authorities to carry out wider testing throughout the EU.

Robochef

I really enjoy spending time in the kitchen cooking, but there are times when I could do with my own chef to rustle up a meal. Now Moley Robotics has demonstrated its robot chef, which consists of two robotic arms and impressively nimble hands above a kitchen preparation area, hob, oven and sink.

In a demonstration for Wired magazine the robot created a perfect copy of a crab bisque recipe by TV's 2011 Masterchef champion Tim Andersen, who declared it “deep and warming with a strong hint of crab”. A 3D camera enables the computer to capture the movements of the human chef, which it can then replicate.

The company aims to launch a consumer version by 2017 with a digital library of 2,000 dishes. Then home cooks like myself will be able to record and contribute our favourite recipes, or even have it prepare a dish by a famous Michelin-starred chef. But it won't come cheap - the robot and kitchen setup is likely to cost around ￡10,000.

Smartwatch for swimmers

I like to keep fit and am well catered for by all manner of fitness bands, trackers and smartwatches to monitor my runs, but it's been a little more tricky in the swimming pool - until now.

A new smartwatch designed just for swimmers and built for continuous use underwater has been launched on Kickstarter. It records all the things you'd expect - heart rate, pace, overall performance - and is compatible with other fitness apps such as RunKeeper. The Swimmo app also analyses performance and can integrate with your social channels to share the latest updates with your friends. And, being a smartwatch, it also tells the time. All operations are performed with two touch gestures and a flick of the wrist. The first batch is expected to go on sale for ￡114. 

What out-there technologies do you think could become reality in the next few years? Please share your most exciting tech picks and predictions in the comments below.