11 Tech news that proves the future is here

Science really is at an accelerated speed of development. The technologies available today surpass many movies, dreams and predictions of what the future would be like. Have you ever imagined having wireless electricity anywhere, coming from space? Or feel the embrace of your aunt who lives in another country?

Have you ever thought how cool it would be if there was meat that didn’t involve animal suffering? Well, all of this is already possible or is very close to happening in the coming years, in addition to many other things that seem to have come straight from Hollywood.

O awesome.club loves technological innovations and gathered some that promise to make our lives much easier, generating a revolution in common things. Check out!

Soon, it might be possible to see the police patrolling the streets and chasing flying criminals. The UK police have tested a jet-powered suit that can save police time in pursuits, patrolling crowds or accessing hard-to-reach places, for example. In the test, the pilot managed to dive into the air and detain a “fugitive”. According to the chief of police, the device is incredibly noisy, but it has a lot of potential and represents exciting opportunities. Now, what are the uses for technology in the police area and how to train personnel will be evaluated.

Researchers at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech), in the United States, plan to launch photovoltaic panels into space to capture sunlight, transform it into electricity and send it to Earth. The idea is based on the principle that at a height of 100 kilometers, in the so-called low orbit, there is more light than any desert and without the interference of clouds. Thus, it would be enough to move the plates in the direction of the Sun to have 24-hour capture, every day. The project received an investment of US$100 million and the donors say that the aim is to democratize access to energy on the planet.

The United States Navy tests a plane without a crew that can fly for about 90 days (that’s right, three months) without having to land. This feat is possible thanks to the solar panels on its wings, which supply the aircraft. The Skydweller — something like a resident of the sky, in free translation — is an evolution of the Solar Impulse 2, a solar plane with a crew that made a trip around the world between 2015 and 2016. Now, autonomous flight tests are carried out, including takeoff and landing , and the technology opens doors to new sources of fuel and flight autonomy in commercial aviation.

Holograms are already known by the public, but now, researchers from the University of Glasgow, in Scotland, are developing an environment in which it is possible to feel objects and people. For this, the system uses jets of air that are meticulously synchronized with the visible images. Thus, when touching the projected object, the air jets focus on the skin, creating the sensation of touch. Scientists hope to use the technology in a variety of applications, such as more realistic teleconferencing, video games and medical treatments.

Scientists at Northwestern University, in the United States, have created a microchip with “wings”, considered the smallest flying object ever made by man. They plan to use the technology to monitor pollution, the presence of airborne diseases and collect population data, among many other goals. It is made with degradable polymers, which naturally dissolve on landing, and the design was inspired by seeds that are dispersed by the wind.

The Mattel Children’s Hospital, in the United States, innovated and decided to test a new comfort for children admitted to the institution: the Robin robot. He goes around visiting the little ones and, according to the study, stimulates a more positive view to overcome the stress of the treatment and help in the medical interactions. The robot moves, shows expressions, in addition to talking and playing with the children, going beyond chats and games with tablets. The result showed that 90% wanted Robin to visit again and that the results were also perceived in the mood of doctors and family members.

Toronto is the city where the first lung transplant took place, in 1983. Now, it was also the site of the first transfer of this organ between hospitals via drone. A trip that lasted just six minutes, but which was prepared for 18 months, the drone is equipped with a carbon fiber box, a parachute and an advanced GPS system. The company and the doctors involved believe that this method will become the norm and that it is crucial to improving outcomes for those waiting for a transplant.

Facial recognition is increasingly used in the world, mainly in security matters. However, a group of nine schools in the UK decided to use this technology to make snack time easier. All students have to do is look at a screen, payment is registered and lunch is released. According to schools, this is a faster and more hygienic option than cards or digital readers. For those concerned about privacy, administrators say that data is stored in encrypted form and deleted when the child leaves school.

McDonald’s plans to automate drive-thrus service with voice ordering and artificial intelligence (AI). They tested the technology in ten stores across the United States and according to McDonald’s CEO Chris Kempczinski, the result showed great benefits for customers and employees. The system uses AI to switch between different available offers, and voice recognition takes orders accurately. Now, the challenge is to take this to 14,000 stores across the country. Also, the company intends to automate parts of the kitchen, such as fryers and barbecues.

With concern for the environment, animals and food, there have been many attempts to create meat free from the burden of livestock. So a company called Upside Foods opened a huge factory to produce real meat in a lab for large-scale commercial purposes. The process takes stem cells from animals and feeds them with nutrients, so that they grow to the point of generating edible portions. The technology uses up to 90% less water and emits up to 90% less CO2, as well as eliminating zoonotic diseases and animal cruelty.

Despite the benefits and the factory being in the United States, this type of meat is still not authorized for sale in the country. However, the company expects that in five or ten years it will be cheaper than the conventional one. Today, the only place where this meat is allowed to be traded is in Singapore.

A revolution in the way we see the world was started with an invention by researchers at Northwestern University, in the United States. They created a camera that can shoot through barriers such as bones, organs, walls or large machine structures. In addition to the medical potential, the technology can be used to improve autonomous navigation systems and to carry out complex industrial inspections, such as in airplanes, among other infinite possibilities, according to the creators.

These news are really useful and revolutionary, isn’t it? What technology would you like to be invented to make your life easier? Leave your comment!