Today’s technology advances at a rapid rate. There seems to be a new technology that will revolutionize the future sometimes every single day. But with so many significant technology advancements occurring constantly, it is simple to lose sight of how quickly things are changing.
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Sand batteries
Not every technology advancing our future needs to be complex; others are straightforward but incredibly powerful. Some Finnish experts have developed one of these technologies by figuring out how to transform sand into a massive battery. These engineers filled a 4 x 7-meter steel container with 100 tonnes of sand. After that, wind and sun energy were used to warm up all of the sand. A neighborhood energy provider can then disperse this heat to warm up surrounding buildings. In this manner, energy can be long-term stored. This entire process is made possible by a theory called resistive heating. Here, the friction of electrical currents heats the substance.
Advanced exoskeletons
Exo-skeletons have long been a part of popular science fiction as well as everyday life. But as time has gone on, technology has quickly advanced, becoming more remarkable. Most significantly, in recent years, we have observed that young people now have easier access to technology. The most cutting-edge mobile medical exoskeleton made especially for kids is called the Atlas 2030. Though not yet commercially available, this technology may one day provide kids with a lower-body exoskeleton for medical purposes. Children with severe neuromuscular conditions, cerebral palsy, or spina bifida might benefit from this.
Launching satellites into orbit
Who would have guessed that an improvised catapult would be the ideal means of launching satellites into space! Okay, so it is far more intelligent than a catapult, but the technology is comparable. A prototype technology called SpinLaunch is used to launch satellites or other payloads into orbit. Instead of employing the conventional method of using chemical fuel found in conventional rockets, it achieves this by using kinetic energy. With this method, payloads could be spun at 8,000 km/h and 10,000 G before being launched into space using a big launch tube. Of course, small rocket engines will still be needed to deliver payloads into orbit, but SpinLaunch claims that this technology uses 70% less fuel and infrastructure.
Xenotransplantation
Even if it seems like a poor idea, one of the most recent medical operations is making quick progress: inserting a pig’s heart into a person. Surgery could be revolutionized by the practice of xenotransplantation, which involves implanting, installing, or infusing human organs, tissues, or cells from an animal source. The transplantation of a pig’s heart into a person is one of the most frequently done surgeries so far. Currently, this has succeeded twice. But only one of the patients made it past a few months of life, while the other is still being monitored. Gene editing must be done before the surgery to implant the heart into the patient. It is necessary to knock out specific genes.
Picture creation with AI
The field of art is a new industry to add to the list as artificial intelligence continues to do tasks just as effectively as humans. OpenAI researchers have developed software that can produce graphics with only verbal inputs. You can search for “a dog wearing a cowboy hat singing in the rain” and find a tonne of absolutely unique pictures that suit the bill. Even the artistic style in which your request is returned is your choice. But there are still problems with the technology, like when we gave it bad instructions for drawing cartoon figures.
Robots that can read minds
The application of brain reading technology has significantly advanced in recent years and is no longer a sci-fi gimmick. Researchers from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne tried one of the most intriguing and useful uses we’ve seen so far (EPFL). These researchers have succeeded in developing a method for tetraplegic patients (those who are unable to move either their upper or lower body) to communicate with the outside world. Their inventions include a robot arm, a brain-computer interface, and a machine-learning algorithm. During tests, the robot arm would carry out easy tasks like navigating a barrier. Using an EEG cap, the system would then decipher brain impulses.
3D-printed bones
The 3D printing business promises everything from low-cost home construction to reasonably priced durable armor, but one of the most intriguing applications of the technology is the creation of 3D-printed bones. Tricalcium phosphate, a substance with characteristics comparable to those of human bones, is used by the business Ossiform, a specialist in medical 3D printing, to make patient-specific replacements of various bones. It’s really simple to utilize these 3D-printed bones. An MRI can be performed in a hospital and uploaded to Ossiform, which then develops a 3D model of the required patient-specific implant. Once the design has been approved by the surgeon, it can be printed and used during surgery.
