The future is upon us. In fact, it is constantly becoming the present, so don’t think that those things you see on the big screen are just figments of the imagination. No, no, no, these Futuristic Gadgets are all around us. You just need to look on the road, in the sky, at the animal sniffing around your front yard totally ignoring the no pooping sign, or at the pair of glasses that you forgot were on top of your head. Get ready, get set, go to the future and beyond!
Self-Driving Cars
You are tired. The weekend at the in-laws was just too much. Can you believe what Uncle Fred thinks is appropriate at a family gathering?
We all go through this, unless of course you are Uncle Fred and totally oblivious to anything outside of a good buzz. After what was supposed to be a vacation was more tiring than the normal, everyday grind, and now, to add insult to injury, you have to drive six hours home. Relaxing sounds much better, but, you know, the drive. So, what if you didn’t have to drive?
In comes the autonomous vehicle. Instead of you worrying about the crazy truck driver weaving in and out of traffic, just let the car do it. Car companies such as Tesla, General Motors, and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, to name a few, are all producing and testing self-driving vehicles. The cars use a variety of sensors such as radar, lidar, and GPS to navigate the many highways, byways, and country roads without you having to use any brainpower whatsoever. Just think of it, after that long weekend with the in-laws, instead of stressing out on the way home, you can just put your feet up and read a book, or snooze away to your hearts content.
Flying Cars
Most everyone is aware of the self-driving vehicle, but few realize how close we are to a traffic jam in the sky. Using the same type of technology that we see on drones, Porsche and Boeing have been working on this flying transport and plan to have it available to the public by 2025. And I want to be clear when I say public, I mean the 1%, because they are the only ones that are going to be able to afford it. A starter passenger drone with no bells and whistles, but hopefully propellers, will run you around 1.3 million. Start saving your pennies.
3-D Printers
You have heard about them, but what are they, and why would you need one? 3-D printers create a three-dimensional object based on a digital 3-D model. Simple as that. Let’s say you and your wife or husband are having a crazy Friday night building the latest Lego Hogwarts Castle. Everything is going well, the Great Hall is complete, the Whomping Willow is whomping, and the Chamber of Secrets is almost finished, when you notice that the Basilisk (the giant snake) is missing. Just great. Well, Friday night is ruined, and you might as well tack Saturday onto that also.
Or is it?
No, it is not, because of your new trusted friend, the 3-D printer. Basilisk replacement printed and the weekend has been saved, simple as that.
Not only does the printer help with replacing toys and saving romantic evenings, it also prints prosthetic limbs, entire houses (or just specific building materials), as well as the next thing on the list of futuristic gadgets, the flying suit.
Flying Suits
Iron Man is getting old. He first appeared on our radar in Tales of Suspense #39 in March of 1963. That makes him 57, which is getting on in years to be tearing around the world fighting evil doers. So, how do we find a replacement, because we know Iron Man is not interested in sharing his suit.
The replacement suit begins with our marital friend, the 3-D printer, and ends with a gaggle of jet engines. Richard Browning, a British inventor, built one, used it, and is still among the living, so you can bet that they are in production as we speak, but we do not know where, yet…
Virtual Reality
Wouldn’t it be nice to take a vacation without having to deal with flying, booking accommodations, and that guy who refuses to believe that nobody wants to see him in a Speedo? Well, now you can with virtual reality (VR). There are so many applications for this technology that there is no way that it will not be an everyday part of our lives soon. From gaming, to shopping, to medical testing, and military and law enforcement training, VR headsets are soon to be the next craze. With companies like Oculus Go perfecting the gear, I am sure that Christmas trees will be warming these little babies come December.
Cloning
You have wanted a dog for a while but knew that you wouldn’t be home enough to give them the attention and love that they need and deserve. Then a global pandemic occurred, and your home life became your all-the-time life. Enter the dog that you have always wanted. They are cute, protective, and furry. Sure, they might drool, and your vacuum works overtime during the summer to pickup the excess shedding, but you love them. In fact, you love them so much, you would like another one. But not just any dog, you want the same exact dog.
So how do you do this? First, start saving your money to the tune of about 100,000 dollars. Once you have collected your surplus contact Sooam Biotech. Then, presto, Rover 2.0 is sitting next to Rover 1.0 and you and your pack are the talk of the town.
Bionics
Isn’t it every 21st century person’s dream to slowly turn into a robot? Well, if you are the typical modern human then bionics is just what you are looking for. Lockheed Martin is busy at work producing an exoskeleton for the military that is sure to be the next in thing once it has been perfected for military conflicts. Imagine being able to carry 200 pounds with ease while being protected from an assault with a deadly weapon. Sounds like grocery shopping just got a little easier.
One More Hunt Before I Go
All of these “Futuristic Gadgets” are a far cry from the hunter gatherers that we used to be. There are times when I long for a good old woolly mammoth hunt with my tribe, but then I remember that I can just slap on a VR headset and bring home some virtual meat for my community without the risk of a tusk in my chest. The future is now, stop living in the past, put down your spears and put on your flying suit, then take a nap in your car while on the way to the grocery store for some combat shopping. Can it get any better than this? I think not.
