The year 2014 was marked by many crucial events, both in the political, social, and cultural fields. Some of the changes that influenced the evolution of society are also reflected in the inventions that made a splash in 2014. Some of these reflected concern for the environment, health, and resources. Most, however, were made to make our lives easier and more cheerful.
We did not make a ranking of the best inventions, as we believe it is neither our role, nor the place, nor do we have any authority in the field. However, we have selected some of the most interesting inventions in technology and present them briefly.
3D Printer. These devices can print any object starting from digital sketches, in 3D format. Because it can be used in almost any field, the 3D printer is considered to be the solution to the problem of establishing the first human outpost outside Earth. The European Space Agency has already stated that it is possible for this printer to be used on the Moon.
Witricity. In other words, wireless electric energy. That is, without needing to plug the device into an outlet. The idea does not sound bad at all if we think that we could have all household appliances independent, no longer tied to a socket. The technology is based on a coil that generates a magnetic field. It is currently used for small devices, but those at WiTricity have aimed and succeeded in applying this principle to devices located about 2.4 meters from the source. Tests have been conducted for Toyota electric cars and Intel computers. WiTricity's plan is that in 10 years every device in an average person's home will be powered from a central energy source.
Hoverboard. This invention, seemingly taken from sci-fi movies, is a kind of skateboard that levitates above the ground and moves on the same principles as a normal skateboard. Here the good news ends. The bad part is the battery life, which is only 15 minutes, thus insufficient for a trip to the corner store or around the neighborhood. In fact, we can't even leave the house with it. The bad news continues: the Hoverboard can only fly above a conductive material, such as aluminum or copper. And it rises only 1 inch above the ground. Despite all this, the device costs no less than $10,000. All these flaws perhaps make it unsuitable for our list. Still, this invention, through the technology behind it, represents only the first step in the field. The founders of the company Hendo, who created this Hoverboard, Jill and Greg Henderson, intend to use this technology to protect buildings and valuable works of art in case of earthquakes.
SmartWatch. Although it was not launched long ago on the market, this device has already sparked numerous disputes, with the public having very divided opinions. This smart watch is directly connected to the mobile phone and allows access to it directly from the screen, without needing to take the smartphone out of the pocket. Thus, on the watch screen, real-time information that you check most often will be displayed, such as weather, calendar, stock quotes, and others. Also, on the same screen, incoming calls will be displayed, with the option to answer or reject the call discreetly and easily. For 2015, the most anticipated smartwatch is the Apple Watch, which has become more of a computer than a smart watch.
Mangalyaan. The name is quite strange, but it has an excuse: it is in Hindi and translates to "Mars craft." The spacecraft was created by the Indian Space Research Organization and aims to orbit the planet Mars and collect information about it. Very interesting is the way the Indians managed to build a spacecraft and place it in orbit on the first try, although neither the Americans, Russians, nor Europeans succeeded on their first attempt. Even more noteworthy is the construction cost, which is only 74 million dollars, less than what the Americans spent on the movie Gravity.
Besides these inventions, which we chose based on utility and prospects, there are many other inventions worth mentioning here. We mention just a few:
- Microsoft Surface Pro 3 - a tablet that can successfully replace a laptop,
- Superbanana or the banana that can prevent blindness – a new species of banana plants that produce bananas very rich in vitamin A, essential for maintaining eye health. Intended to prevent blindness in Sub-Saharan Africa, the program aims to donate 10 plants to each village, which will then be naturally propagated.
- Hemopurifier - the blood purifier. This filter was used only once, in the case of the Ebola epidemic, to filter the blood of a patient infected with the Ebola virus. This innovative treatment was successful, opening prospects for use in other diseases.
- Ringly - the ring that lights up when you receive a phone call, email, or message. (available for women)
- The Selfie Stick - the device that makes it easier to take the famous selfie photos by extending the distance between the phone and the person taking the photo.
- MotionSavvy uni – a tablet with accessories that uses motion-sensing cameras and voice recognition to translate sign language into words - and spoken words into text in real time. A help for people with hearing impairments.
There are many inventions, unlimited possibilities. "Sky is the limit."
It is interesting to follow where these inventions will go or, at least, some of them. The emerging technologies have very good prospects and can contribute to building a safer future and a higher standard of living for all people, not just those who can afford it.
