Technologies that Will Shape the World 20 Years from Now

 Featured article by Ioana Sima, Independent Technology Author

If history has taught us anything, it is that predicting the future will forever remain an art form as opposed to a precise science. The world is evolving rapidly and constantly, with trends coming and going in a matter of years. Within the last few decades, technology has taken the lead and become the fastest growing industry in the world. In fact, it has advanced more in the past couple of decades than it has in centuries before, and there is no sign of it slowing down.

That has made it unpredictable and exciting at the same time. And while we cannot know where it’s going and what innovating ideas brilliants minds will come up with, we can analyze current data and existing technologies. Among them are a few that will take root and continue shaping the future of our world.

Smartphones and artificial intelligence were once things of science fiction. They were tools thought to be a mere figment of the imagination, but are now in power. Other paradigm shifts will drive the world into a futuristic direction we can only imagine. New tools and technologies will surely follow and gain influence over our everyday lives. Today’s novelty tech will shape the course of our future.

Internet of Things

An internet connection in itself is becoming a basic human necessity. The world as we know it is rapidly evolving, and the Internet of Things (IoT) is already being implemented in numerous aspects of our lives. This ranges from entertainment, utilities, banking, transportation, and several other industries. Its effect on the healthcare market, for example, is expected to grow exponentially by 2021. Every area will be affected and sooner or later, everything will be connected to our smartphones. They will become our lifelines, more than they already are.

From our cars to our homes, the IoT will successfully change the way we interact with everyday objects. With implementation of future technologies, such as Near-Field Communication (NFC), it’s inevitable that it will shape our future in the decades to come. Consumers around the world will be able to seamlessly access digitized products and items through computable entities that will be profoundly widespread in the coming years.

Virtual and Augmented Reality

It has been a dream since the early 1980s. However, it wasn’t until recently that the true face of virtual and augmented reality has shown itself on the market and arrived in full force. With products such as Oculus Rift and HTC Vive leading the charge, it will become inevitable for numerous other companies to start developing their own devices. However, the potential ramifications are monumental. The gaming world has certainly been given a boost and will continue to grow exponentially due to VR. But the entertainment industry will not be the only one affected.

Fields such as medicine, education, advertising, architecture, engineering, and business will find potentially game-changing alterations that will innovate their field. Doctors will be able to prep for surgery using VR, architects will have exquisite 3D representations of their design, and numerous others will benefit from being “present” in certain scenes, such as lessons. Immersion will be the best teaching tool. It will offer users a near genuine first-hand experience in the virtual world. Virtual and augmented reality are advancing at a rapid pace. They will become the norm in the next five years and shape the future in the next two decades.

Self-Driving Cars

They are already here, and numerous manufacturers, such as Mercedes, BMW, and Chevrolet are implementing the technology into their vehicles. It’s only a matter of time before self-driving cars become a natural occurrence on the roads due to the tremendous benefits they bring. The concept might be difficult to swallow, and it might take decades before the population becomes comfortable with autonomous vehicles, but the change will happen. Self-driving cars are an innovation of this age and a staple of the future.

Their added safety features will surpass the skills of any human driver. Sensors are always active, and they will never fall asleep at the wheel or get distracted by text messages. The number of traffic accidents and collisions will drop dramatically, and the population will begin to understand that the human element is mostly at fault for tragedies on the road. Self-driving cars will shape the world as we know it by bringing us into a safer future. A human behind the wheel will become optional or even a novelty bred out of nostalgia and the simple enjoyment of driving.

Nanotechnology

Given its absolute precision and tremendous potential, nanotechnology will be one of the most significant technologies that will change the world for the better. Numerous industries will be affected, including computing, engineering, medicine, and several others. In a matter of decades, the technology will be perfected and reach a point of becoming an absolute necessity. Issues such as neurosurgery and gene therapy, for example, will be revolutionized, and the population will reap the benefits.

The tools will need to be modeled, and each will have a specific job, which means that it will require years of research, careful planning, and ingenious scientists to perfect it. Anyone studying and conducting research in molecular nanotechnology will become high in demand. They will be the innovators of our world, and their work could change fields and save lives. It’s not a mere matter of aesthetics, but of practicality as well.

Diseases, for example, work at a cellular level, which means that similarly minute tools are required to reach their root. This will potentially change the way medicine approaches certain illnesses that are now thought to be untouchable and irreparable. Prevention with the aid of nanotechnology will be able to stop them before they spread through the body. In 20 years, it will save lives.

Robotics

We fear the rise of AI-powered robots and we have been warned by the likes of Stephen Hawking and Elon Musk that they could be the horsemen that predict the end of the world. However, the potential is undeniable, and most will have to come to terms that robotics will play a major role in our future. We might have to welcome the dawn of the age of robots and accept their existence. And it’s all due to their ever-increasing efficiency, precision, and ability to mimic certain human functions.

Countries with strong workforces, such as China, are already considering and planning the implementation of robots. A factory in Guangdong will be the first “zero-labor” plant in the world, where 1,000 robots are set to cover the workload of 2,000 employees. It will take years, but it has the potential of fixing several economic issues in Asia and the West, such as rising labor prices. Robotics will become a solution that will increase productivity and costs, even though it will endanger the jobs of hundreds of thousands of people. It’s a reality we will have to accept.

Solar Energy

We are battling issues with environmental changes and worsening climate. Solar energy will be one of our saviors. MIT’s professor Vladimir Bulović has predicted that it will be more prevalent than we think, as coating technologies and photovoltaics will be revolutionized in the coming years. Solar energy has seen a rapid development. Advances are made every day, and it appears that the installation of solar panels is doubling while costs are falling by 20% every two years. It’s only a matter of time before it will gain a secure spot in our lives.

If things continue on a similar progression, the costs will be halved by 2022, solar power will be capable of offering 100% of the world’s energy needs, and by 2035 solar energy might just become free of charge. Or, at the very least, they will reach the price tag of today’s cell phone calls. That means an exceptional shift in the price of home investments and many others, including the added benefits to the health of our planet.

3D Printing

Digital manufacturing will witness a major change in the coming years. The innovations in 3D printing will bring a completely different outlook on our everyday lives and manufacturing processes. The materials will be cheaper, and the customization will be capable of going deeper. Powered metal or plastic will become the common “ingredient”, just as ink cartridges become for the outdated printer years ago. The new and improved 3D printers will have exceptional capabilities of making anything from jewelry to clothes. Many households will have one of these elegant devices in their homes by the early 2020s.

However, the true use will be experienced in manufacturing medical devices and implants, as well as components that could benefit from the materials. From something as simple as a cast used for broken bones to a piece of hardware, 3D printing will be there to create it. In fact, by 2030, it will have a significant role in industrial factories.

We can try predicting how the world will change in the next 20 years, but we can only fear the worst and hope for the best. However, based on projections and careful estimations, it is possible to understand who will benefit the most.

Nations that have invested heavily in education with strong consumer economies and democratic institutions will be prepared for the monumental change that will happen in the next few decades. Their people will be gradually aware of future shifts and keep track of them as they occur. It will help them adapt, and they will have the right conditions to ascertain how to live in the new world and take advantage of the opportunities it presents.

That is precisely why every country should heavily focus on not only adhering to its population’s current needs, but actively invest in their future by focusing on social awareness and education. The future is on its way, and we can only prepare for it and find our place in the era of digitized industries.

Author Bio: Ioana Sima

Architecture student at ‘Ion Mincu’ University of Architecture, CMO of DigitalWebProperties, coffee lover and avid gamer. Despite my academic background, I decided to pursue a career in digital marketing. Why? Because it’s thrilling, fascinating, and unpredictable. My goal is to contribute to the creation of something truly meaningful & to grow professionally.

Image source: 1