Cornucopia of Technology

David KeenanPresented to the

Minnesota Futurists March 15, 2008

Computerized Telekinesis•Systems that monitor the electrical activity of the brain’s neurons and translate the data into commands, which are transmitted to a computer. •CA-based NeuroSky & Emotiv, combined their devices with video games so users could control their avatars and cause on-screen objects to levitate simply by thinking of doing so. •In a simulation conducted on the “Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire” game, players were connected to a set of electrodes, and were shown to 'cast spells' and 'move' on-screen objects using their brain. •They plan commercial launch in 2008. www.tfot.info/news/36/it-s-a-kind-of-magic-computerized-telekinesis.html

Tan Lee, Pres. Emotiv

Multi Gigabit Wireless• Short Range High Bandwidth• Georgia Electronic Design Center (GEDC) at Georgia Tech• Exploring extremely high radio frequencies (60 GHz) in order

to achieve broad bandwidth and high data transmission rates over short distances.

• So far, they have demonstrated date transfer rates of up to 15 gigabits per second (Gbps) at a distance of 1 meter

• Download a CD from a kiosk to a phone in 5 sec.• Wireless HD DVD to Monitor• Safe, low power, 60 Ghz is blocked by skin • No interference as its blocked by walls • Estimate 3 years to commercialization

http://www.tfot.info/news/39/gigabit-wireless-technology-around-the-corner.html

Data Storage – 1 Terabyte CD• Mempile, near Jerusalem, Israel - Teradisc• Revolutionary new optical-storage technology currently

under development will allow the equivalent of …• 250,000 high-quality MP3s, • or more than 115 DVD-quality movies and about 40 HD

movies on a single CD-size medium. • Write Once Read Many (WORM)• 2 photon read/write method, 3D optical storage• Chromophores in variation of PMMA• At 200 layers a disc, future versions of the technology

will make it possible to store up to 5TB of data per disc• 2010 or sohttp://www.tfot.info/articles/56/mempile-terabyte-on-a-cd.html

Urban Solar Lighting• "MAK" Museum of Applied and Contemporary Arts in Vienna, Austria. Jan. ‘08• This urban lighting project was produced and developed by the Artemide, Italy and Sharp Solar companies. • The solar tree, designed by MAK's Ross Lovegrove, absorbs solar energy during the day and emits light in the nighttime. • Using solar cell technology to light the streets is not only efficient but also environmentally friendly and economical, as it decreases electricity expenses. http://www.tfot.info/pod/1084/solar-tree-lights-up-the-streets.html Champs Elysee, Paris

e Paper•Plastic Logic, Cambridge, UK

Polymer Vision, Eindhoven, Netherlands

as well as HP, and Fujitsu,

Xerox PARC’s Gyricon,

SiPix, Freemont, CA

Microcup – roll-roll process =>

•Main obstacle is price,

needs to be < $100•Color will be the ‘killer application”•Introduced already but 2012 before mass market adoptionhttp://www.tfot.info/articles/1000/the-future-of-electronic-paper.html

Polymer Vision’s Readius

Plastic Vision’s ePaper

Self Cleaning Fussy Fabrics• Researchers at Monash University in Australia and Hong

Kong Polytechnic University • Developed a process that cause keratins to self clean and

protect themselves from UV degradation. • Keratins are a type of natural protein and the main

structural constituents of animal tissues. • If successful, wool skirts & silk ties may clean themselves

TIVO Your Life•Professor Yasuo Kuniyoshi •Tokyo University School of Information Science and Technology

•Smart Goggles record everything you see and offer label ideas

•If you want to find your car keys, you ask your database to replay the video containing last view of car keys

•Could be the ultimate connection between the real world and the cyberworld and could eventually be loaded with vast quantities of data from the Internet.

•With that database installed, the glasses might actually know much more about what the wearer is seeing than the wearer himself—species of animal, technical specs of vehicles and electronics or even the identity of people.

http://www.rdmag.com/newsletters/RD_Daily_02_14_08.htm

Femto-second Laser• UUL ultra-fast, ultra-intense laser • Laser pulse durations of one quadrillionth of a second• Univ. of Missouri researcher Robert Tzou• Permits clean cuts, kill cancer cells without heating

surrounding tissues• Permits sintering of titanium nanoparticles to control the

porosity of the bridge between implants and bone for better bonding

• No comment on timing yet.

http://web.missouri.edu/~umcengrmaeweb/research/respro/respro.html 14 Mar 08

Wi Fi Finder T Shirt•Wi-Fi Detector shirt dynamically displays current Wi-Fi signal strength of either 802.11b or 802.11g networks

•The shirt is made of 100% cotton and the small display unit and 3 AAA-battery connector can be easily removed before laundry. 

•The Wi-Fi Detector shirt should last for many hours, according to the ThinkGeek store

•On sale since Oct 07 for $29.99. 

http://www.tfot.info/pod/1019/wi-fi-detector-shirt.htmlhttp://www.thinkgeek.com/tshirts/generic/991e/

Airboard Scooter• Innovative personal hovering scooter

• Uses an air cushion to glide above a variety of surfaces

• Airboard has a drive wheel for acceleration and directional control, as well as friction devices for steering and stopping.

• Among other maneuvers, the Hovering Scooter is capable of full 360 degrees turns, sliding stops and turns, and zigzag movements.

• Current price is around $15,000. • short video demonstrating the Hovering Scooter here http://www.tfot.info/pod/1051/airboard-the-hovering-scooter.html

Scoring

• Method of 5 coins• Which ones do you feel are most significant?• Which ones do you feel are most preferable?