Re-imagining technology for 2020 and beyond....
Phani Marupaka
Associate Director @ Zeta | AI Product Automation | UIUC | BITS Pilani
The first city with more than 50,000 people and no traffic lights will come into existence by 2026.
Infrastructure will also become more connected in the future, giving way to more smart cities. Everything from the sidewalk and streets to the traffic lights and buildings will be connected to the internet.
Smart cities, like a smart home, will be automated capable of managing their "energy, material flows, logistics and traffic," according to the report.
The evolution of connected infrastructure will bring about the first city with a population of 50,000 people and no traffic lights by 2026, according to the report.
The first robotic pharmacist will arrive in the US 2021.
Robots already have a big presence in the manufacturing industry, but as they become more advanced we will see them enter new service oriented jobs.
In fact, respondents predict that by 2021 we will even have first robot pharmacist in the US.
1 trillion sensors will be connected to the internet by 2022.
Welcome to the internet of things.
As the cost of sensors continues to decline and computing power increases, all kinds of devices will increasingly become connected to the internet. From the clothes you wear to the ground you walk on, everything will come online.
And as early as 2022, its predicted 1 trillion sensors will be connected. According to the report "every (physical) product could be connected to ubiquitous communication infrastructure, and sensors everywhere will allow people to fully perceive their environment."
10% of the world's population will be wearing clothes connected to the internet by 2024.
Cars, appliances, and other everyday objects are increasingly becoming more connected to the internet. And not too long from now, even the clothes on our back will get a connection.
By 2022, experts predict that 10% of people will be wearing clothing with embedded chips that connects them to the internet.
This isn't really too surprising seeing as a number of accessories-including watches and rings- are already becoming connected. According to the research firm Gartner, about 70 million smartwatches and other bands will be sold in 2015 alone.
The first 3D printed car will be in production by 2023.
3D printers are increasingly becoming more powerful, capable of printing complex objects from all kinds of materials. Many car companies are already using the technology to create prototypes and to more efficiently create specific parts of a vehicle.
Most recently, Audi showed off a miniature sized vehicle it created using its metal printers.
But the automotive startup Local Motors is aiming to begin productionon a full size car using 3D printing in the next few years. The company has already created several prototypes, but will begin taking orders for its production model (shown above) in 2016.
The first implantable mobile phone will become commercially available in 2025.
Being attached to your smartphone may take on a whole new meaning by 2023.
About 80% of respondents predict that in seven years the first implantable mobile phone will become commercially available.
The device will potentially be able to track a person's health more accurately, while also allowing them to communicate thoughts via brainwaves or signal instead of verbally, according to the report.
Implantable health devices, like pacemakers and cochlear implants, have already become more mainstream. And it's likely we'll see more widespread adoption of implantable technologies emerge before 2025.
10% of reading glasses will be connected to the internet by 2025.
Interacting with the world around you will become a lot different when connected glasses become more common.
Eighty-six percent of survey respondents predict connected eye wear will become common by 2023. The technology will allow the wearer to have direct access to internet applications will enable an enhanced or augmented reality experience. Eye tracking technology will also enable them to control the interface with their vision.
Google, of course, has already introduced similar technology with its Google Glass and is currently working on connected contact lenses.
More than 50% of Internet traffic to homes will be from appliances and device by 2025.
As more sensors are deployed and more products become connected to the internet, we will see a big shift in internet traffic.
Currently, most of the internet traffic in home is for personal consumption, whether it be for communication or entertainment. But by 2024, about half of the internet in the home will be used for home automation purposes.
10% of global gross domestic product will be stored using blockchain technology 2028.
As blockchain technology take off, more money will be stored using the technology.
According to the report, the total worth of Bitcoin in the blockchain is around $20 billion, or about 0.025% of global GDP of around $80 trillion. By 2027, about 10% of the global GDP will be stored using blockchain.
-- Phani Marupaka