Inspired by the “What will the world look like in 2100” thread.
Not so much 100 years out, but what are the cool techs now that are doable, but in their infancy that a few good commercial applications could roll out into cool new stuff in the next 20 years.
For example, predator drones were possible in the late 70’s but only in the last few years have they become viable combat platforms.
Not just looking for millitary, but consumer applications, to run with my example. Could a commercial airliner be flown by a remote pilot? Not saying anyone would like it much but if it was somehow cheaper or allowed more/longer flights invariably the market would push many folks into it, eventually becoming common.
3-D immersive Wii-style games. I currently don’t play computer role-playing games, but I would if I could put on goggles and pretend like I really had a sword in my hand and was really walking down the halls.
The biggest thing they’d have to worry about now is people walking into walls in the real world. But these would be so cool that I’d reserve a padded room in my condo just to play them.
A feature on my TV remote where I could point at a character onscreen, and that actor’s IMDB information would pop up. I understand that we’re not far from this at all.
I’m not sure. I can’t think of any technical obstacles to it, which is why I said “I’m not sure” rather than “no”; just the logistical ones I’ve mentioned. And probably legal ones, too (in case people sue when they bump into stuff with the goggles on.) My guess is that if it came out commercially, they’d simulate walking and running by running in place (maybe even on a ball treadmill, but that could get spendy quickly.)
Passenger-interactive maps/flight journey project maps in aircraft. The in-flight entertainment ones already have more-or-less real-time position updates, but on a zoomed-out static map. We already have Google Maps/Earth. Someone has got to be combining those so that a passenger can use the touch screens to explore the flight path and identify the geographic features they see out the window. I suppose for centre/aisle passengers, this would be a pretty good substitute for not having a window.
On Monday I was flying in to Montreal and wanted more information on the various hydrostations and such that we were flying over in Labrador and northern Quebec. Also; Manicouagan is pretty cool from 36 000 feet up!
