You Won’t Believe How Things Changed in 8 Years
In just eight years, our lifestyles will be unrecognizable. In 2022, we’ll have technology that we’ve never dreamed of today, more options than ever to get around, and diets and health care methods unlike anything we’ve used before. We will also have new worries to deal with as countries become increasingly divided by the haves and the have-nots, and as advancements in technology threaten to outpace our ability to regulate them properly. It’s going to be an exciting eight years, but it’s important to stay aware of how fast things are changing right now so you can prepare for the year 2022 when it arrives.
The Last Picture
The first digital cameras were announced commercially in 2000, and shortly thereafter, people began to imagine that a day would come when we would be able to take pictures wherever we went. Most people believed that would happen within five years. In fact, it has already happened: The last picture you’ll ever need to take is of your lunch today. As soon as that picture is on your camera phone, it can be put on Instagram or posted on Facebook.
Why do we even have selfies?
The first time anyone heard of a selfie was around 2002. If you’re like me, you thought it was just a joke. Who would ever want to take their own picture? Then came Facebook. Suddenly we didn’t want pictures taken by professionals anymore; we wanted them taken by ourselves. Why? Just think about it for a minute: you control exactly what part of your body is shown, where it’s tilted and where exactly it should be placed in its respective frame. And now with Instagram, there are filters that make us look even better than we do IRL (in real life). No wonder #selfie is one of today’s top ten hashtags on Twitter: celebrities and regular people alike use selfies to express themselves.
The First Exoskeleton
In 2022, exoskeletons have become quite common. A number of companies like Tesla, Toyota and GM all offer them for sale (with hefty price tags), but their use has become widespread. They’re designed to help people lift heavier items at work and are standard issue for soldiers who spend long periods of time carrying heavy military equipment. As with wearable technology today, exoskeletons can be connected to a smartphone app which shows you how much calories you’ve burned that day and how many more steps you should take to reach your goal—but they can also connect directly with other nearby exoskeletons, so that nearby wearers can share information without having to constantly interact with their phones.
Oculus Rift Came Out
In 2013, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg made headlines when he bought Oculus VR, a company that created virtual reality headsets. This purchase was seen as crazy at first but now we can all see why it was so brilliant. In 2022, everyone wears VR headsets while they’re hanging out with friends or watching movies on their phone. We’ve learned to work together and play together virtually through virtual environments.
The First Robotic Home Helper
I believe we will see a widespread robotic home helper (probably not as sophisticated as Star Wars’ C-3PO or Rosie from The Jetsons) within 10 years. No, I’m not talking about Asimo or Sony’s new robotic dog—although those two certainly are part of that evolution. I mean robots like these: iRobot’s Roomba vacuum cleaner, Haier’s robot maid (pictured here), and LG Electronics’ BotLero (which you can watch in action). These types of robo-helpers have already made their way into certain types of commercial homes—hotels and hospitals, for example—so it’s only a matter of time before they become mainstays at private residences, too.
Magnetic Levitation Train
If you think about all of today’s most advanced modes of transportation—automobiles, planes, and boats—they all have one thing in common: they move on wheels. That may not always be the case. Japan is currently testing a high-speed train that levitates off its tracks using magnets, allowing it to move incredibly quickly while generating almost no friction or noise (think Star Wars speeder bikes). However, due to high initial costs and complications with maintenance and safety requirements at stations, there are currently no plans for commercial use. There are hopes that if these issues can be overcome we could eventually see maglev trains running between major cities around Europe.
I can trust machines with my heart now…
Artificial hearts have existed for decades, but one of the reasons people are still reluctant to get them is that they involve invasive surgeries and are vulnerable to infections. Researchers have been developing artificial heart prototypes based on shape-memory polymers; now, a team at Tufts University has developed an artificial heart that not only doesn’t require invasive surgery (it can be fitted over a stent) but also features built-in sensors that allow it to autonomously adjust its own pumping mechanism if it detects changes in blood flow. While all of us today may not need an artificial heart by 2022, it will likely become less of a rarity.
Voice recognition software gets smarter and more useful with every passing day. Section: We are way more efficient than ever before.
The technology we use today is a lot smarter than it was eight years ago. We can carry around portable computers in our pockets, track every aspect of our health using something as small as a ring, and even read books to our children through virtual avatars. In eight years’ time, it’s safe to say that new gadgets will have changed our lives for good – and made us all more efficient. Here are some examples of what we can expect. […]
