Inventions Of The Future That Will Soon Be Available To Everyone

Summary

The video script explores groundbreaking inventions on the brink of transforming daily life, from zoom-enhanced contact lenses to exoskeletons that augment human strength. It delves into futuristic vehicles with AR displays and smart fridges that track food inventory. The script also touches on personal air purifiers, 3D-printed shoes, and self-powered heart devices that connect to smartphones. The segment on robots, including a butler bot and a child-like robot, raises questions about their integration into homes. Lastly, it introduces graphene, a material with immense potential to revolutionize technology, despite current production challenges.

Takeaways

• 👓 Scientists at the University of California San Diego invented contact lenses that can zoom in when you blink twice, using electrical signals from eye movements and responsive polymers.
• 🦾 The Guardian XO is a full-body exoskeleton that enhances human strength, allowing wearers to lift up to 200 pounds effortlessly, but is currently costly and more suited for industrial use.
• 🚶‍♂️ The ReWalk exoskeleton is designed to help paraplegic individuals walk again, with some models now covered by medical insurance, aiming to become more affordable.
• 🍳 Moley Robotics developed a robotic kitchen system that can cook meals with precision, programmed with recipes from award-winning chefs, although it currently lacks the ability to prep ingredients.
• 🚗 Augmented reality displays in cars are predicted to become widespread, offering features like hazard detection and interactive driving experiences, with companies like WayRay pioneering this technology.
• 💉 Implantable microchips are enabling people to perform tasks like unlocking doors or making payments with a simple hand gesture, but raise concerns about privacy and surveillance.
• 👁️ Individuals have customized their prosthetics with USB drives and cameras, showcasing the potential for personalized cybernetic enhancements.
• 🎮 The Emerge Home device uses ultrasonic waves to simulate touch in VR, enhancing realism, while the Omni One treadmill allows for physical movement in virtual environments.
• 🤚 Scientists at the University of Tokyo created an adhesive strip with LEDs that can display information on the skin, also capable of monitoring health vitals like heart rate and blood pressure.
• 😷 The Air Ring is a personal air purifier that filters out pollutants before releasing clean air, addressing the growing concern of air pollution in urban areas.
• 👟 Sintratex's Cryptide sneaker is a fully 3D-printed shoe made from a single polymer material, while the Flux Snowshoe adapts its shape for comfort on snowy terrain.
• 🧊 Smart fridges from companies like LG, Samsung, and Amazon are being developed with features to track contents, recommend recipes, and reorder groceries, using RFID tags in food packaging.
• ♻️ A biopolymer gel fridge concept proposes a non-electric, oxygen-deprived environment to preserve food, although its practicality and feasibility are questioned.
• 💔 A metallic mesh heart sleeve can both monitor heart conditions and generate electricity from heartbeats, potentially replacing pacemakers and allowing early detection of heart attacks through a smartphone app.
• 🤖 Tesla's Optimus robot aims to perform household chores, with plans to be available by 2027, although its development timeline is met with skepticism.
• 🧠 The CB2 robot, designed with the capabilities of a two-year-old, is being used to study AI development of social skills through human interaction.
• 📈 Graphene, a single layer of carbon atoms, is the strongest and most conductive material known, with potential to revolutionize various industries once manufacturing challenges are overcome.

Q & A

What is the primary function of the contact lenses developed by scientists from the University of California San Diego?

The contact lenses developed by scientists from the University of California San Diego have the ability to zoom in when the wearer blinks twice. They contain electrodes that track eye movements and respond by slightly changing the shape of the polymer lenses to increase magnification by 32%.

What material challenge are researchers trying to overcome with the zooming contact lenses?

Researchers are trying to figure out how to make the zooming contact lenses out of gas-permeable plastic, which is used in regular contacts and allows oxygen to reach the wearer's eye, ensuring they can be worn safely all day without damaging eyesight.

How much weight can the Guardian XO exoskeleton help a wearer lift?

The Guardian XO exoskeleton can increase the wearer's strength, allowing them to lift up to 200 pounds without straining.

What is the ReWalk exoskeleton designed to do?

The ReWalk exoskeleton is designed to allow people with paraplegia to stand upright, walk, and climb stairs. It has four powerful motors at the hip and knee joints that are activated when the user tilts their upper body in different directions.

What is the approximate cost of the ReWalk exoskeleton?

The ReWalk exoskeleton currently costs up to $85,000 per unit, but the team behind it is working to make it more affordable and available through certain medical insurance plans.

How does Moley Robotics' robot cook meals?

Moley Robotics' robot comes pre-programmed with thousands of recipes and uses its two mechanical arms to cook meals. It can pour, stir, and sizzle its way to culinary perfection, although it currently cannot prep ingredients and its creators are reluctant to give it a knife.

What is the cost of the most expensive variant of Moley Robotics' cooking robot?

The most expensive variant of Moley Robotics' cooking robot costs $340,000.

How does the augmented reality display in cars work?

The augmented reality display in cars works by projecting a bunch of information onto the car's windscreen. It uses built-in cameras to scan the road ahead, builds a digital image, and then a laser and optical fiber system projects images onto the windscreen at an ideal angle for the driver.

What is the primary function of the microchips implanted into humans as described in the script?

The microchips implanted into humans allow them to perform tasks such as buying groceries, opening doors, and accessing public transport with a simple wave of their hand, similar to the functionality of digital house keys, bank cards, and E-tickets.

What are some of the privacy concerns associated with the implanted microchips?

Privacy concerns with implanted microchips include the potential for companies that produce the chips to track the user's every move and location, keeping a log of almost everything they do, which could be a serious invasion of privacy.

What is the Emerge Home and how does it enhance the virtual reality experience?

The Emerge Home is a device that allows users to physically feel things they touch in VR by using ultrasonic waves to simulate the feeling of touch. It enhances the VR experience by making it more immersive and realistic.

Outlines

00:00

👓 Futuristic Vision: Zooming Contact Lenses

The script introduces a groundbreaking invention from the University of California San Diego: contact lenses that can zoom when the wearer blinks twice. These lenses are designed to detect unique electrical signals corresponding to eye movements and respond with magnification, enlarging the wearer's view by 32%. The technology uses electrodes and polymers that change shape with an electric current. While early versions exist, researchers are working on making them from gas-permeable plastic for all-day comfort and safety. The potential applications are vast, but public availability is still years away.

05:02

💪 Exoskeletons: Enhancing Human Strength

The script discusses the development of exoskeletons to augment human strength and mobility. Highlighted is the Guardian XO, a full-body exoskeleton that can increase strength to lift heavy weights effortlessly. It's currently costly and more suited for industrial applications than everyday use. In contrast, the ReWalk exoskeleton is designed to help paraplegic individuals walk again, with motors at the hip and knee. Though expensive, efforts are being made to include it in medical insurance plans to reduce costs over time.

10:05

🍽️ Robotic Chefs and High-Tech Kitchens

Moley Robotics is changing the culinary landscape with a robot that can cook meals with precision. Equipped with thousands of recipes from renowned chefs, this robotic kitchen assistant can perform tasks like pouring and stirring. Although it can't yet prepare ingredients, it recognizes specialized containers and allows users to input their own recipes. Despite its high cost, it represents a significant step towards automated cooking solutions.

15:09

🚗 Augmented Reality in Vehicles

The script explores the integration of augmented reality (AR) in vehicles, which can project information onto the windshield. AR devices use cameras to build a digital image of the road ahead, enhancing driving safety by alerting drivers to hazards. WayRay, a tech company, has developed an AR display that gamifies driving by scoring safety, promoting responsible driving habits.

20:10

🤖 Cyborg Lifestyle: Implant Technology

The script delves into the growing trend of implanting microchips under the skin to create a cyborg-like experience. These chips can link to online accounts for contactless payments and access. However, privacy concerns are raised due to potential tracking by chip manufacturers. Some individuals have created their own enhancements, like a USB stick in a prosthetic finger or a camera in a prosthetic eye, showcasing the blending of technology and human biology.

25:13

🎮 Virtual Reality Advancements

The script discusses advancements in virtual reality (VR) technology to overcome motion sickness and improve immersion. Devices like the Emerge Home use ultrasonic waves to simulate touch in VR, while the Omni One treadmill allows for natural movement in virtual environments. Despite some challenges, these innovations point towards a more realistic and immersive VR experience.

👨‍🔬 Skin as a Display: LED Innovation

Scientists at the University of Tokyo have invented a device that turns skin into a display using an adhesive strip of LEDs. This technology can show alerts, such as phone calls or door knocks, and even monitor health metrics like heart rate and blood pressure. While it has potential medical applications, its social utility is less clear.

😷 Air Ring: Personal Air Purifier

The Air Ring is a portable air purifier designed to filter out viruses and pollutants, providing clean air to the wearer. Addressing the issue of air pollution, which contributes to millions of deaths annually, this device could become a fashionable necessity in polluted urban environments.

👟 Futuristic Footwear: Cryptide Sneakers and Flux Snowshoes

The script features the Cryptide sneaker, a 3D-printed shoe made from a single material for comfort and ease of manufacturing. Additionally, the Flux Snowshoe is highlighted for its innovative design that adjusts to the wearer's movement, providing stability on snow and ice. These showcase the future of stylish and functional footwear.

🧊 Smart Fridges and Biopolymer Fridge Concepts

The script discusses the development of smart fridges by major tech companies that can track contents and provide useful features like inventory management and recipe suggestions. On the other hand, a concept fridge uses a biopolymer gel to preserve food without electricity, though its practicality and feasibility are questioned.

❤️ Heart Wrap: A Revolutionary Pacemaker Alternative

Researchers have developed a metallic mesh sleeve as an alternative to pacemakers. This device not only regulates heartbeats but also generates electricity from the heart's movements to power itself, with capabilities to connect to a smartphone app for real-time health monitoring.

🤖 Nope-Bots and the Future of Robotic Butlers

The script touches on the announcement of Optimus, a robot butler by Tesla, designed for mundane tasks. Despite skepticism about its timeline, the idea of robotic butlers is intriguing. The CB2, a robot designed to mimic a two-year-old's capabilities, is also mentioned, raising questions about the integration of such advanced robots into homes.

📏 Graphene: The Future of Materials

Graphene, a single layer of carbon atoms, is introduced as a material with immense potential due to its strength, lightness, and electrical conductivity. It's stronger than steel and more conductive than copper or silicon. However, challenges in mass production and high costs are currently limiting its widespread use.

🔧 Hybrid Materials and the Future of Graphene

The script concludes by discussing the potential of graphene when mixed with other materials to create hybrid materials that are stronger, lighter, and more conductive. While graphene is expensive and difficult to produce, ongoing research aims to make it more accessible,预示着未来可能的广泛应用和对人类生活的深远影响。

Keywords

💡Cybernetics

Cybernetics is the study or design of automatic control systems, particularly using communication technology, in both machines and living things. In the video, cybernetics is discussed in the context of futuristic inventions like contact lenses that zoom when you blink and exoskeletons that enhance human strength. These devices represent the integration of technology with human biology to improve or augment our natural capabilities.

💡Exoskeletons

An exoskeleton is a wearable mobile machine that is powered by electric motors, pneumatics, or hydraulics that can enhance or replace natural movements of the body. In the video, exoskeletons like the Guardian XO are highlighted for their ability to increase the wearer's strength, allowing them to lift heavy weights with ease. This technology exemplifies the merging of man and machine for practical applications such as industrial labor or medical rehabilitation.

💡Augmented Reality (AR)

Augmented Reality is a technology that overlays digital information or images onto the real world, enhancing the user's perception of their surroundings. The script mentions AR displays in vehicles, which project information onto the car's windscreen, like racing lines or hazard alerts. This technology aims to improve the driving experience by providing useful data without obstructing the view of the road.

💡Graphene

Graphene is a single layer of carbon atoms arranged in a two-dimensional honeycomb lattice. It is incredibly strong, lightweight, and an excellent conductor of heat and electricity. The video discusses graphene's potential to revolutionize various industries due to its unique properties, such as creating stronger materials or more efficient electronics. However, the challenge lies in its expensive production process and the need for cost-effective mass production methods.

💡Cyborg

A cyborg is a being with both organic and artificial parts, often referring to a human with mechanical enhancements. The video mentions people implanting microchips under their skin to unlock doors or make payments, embodying the concept of cyborgs. This trend reflects a future where technology is seamlessly integrated into our bodies, blurring the line between human and machine.

💡Moley Robotics

Moley Robotics is a company that developed a robotic kitchen system with two robotic arms that can cook meals. As mentioned in the script, the robot comes pre-programmed with thousands of recipes and can perform tasks like stirring and pouring with precision. This innovation in the field of robotics showcases the potential for automated cooking solutions in the future.

💡ReWalk

ReWalk is a lower body exoskeleton designed to help people with paraplegia stand upright, walk, and climb stairs. The video script describes how the ReWalk's motors and sensors enable mobility for its users. This device exemplifies how technology can provide increased independence and quality of life for individuals with physical disabilities.

💡Smart Fridge

A smart fridge is a refrigerator with internet connectivity and advanced sensors that can track the contents inside. The video discusses smart fridges by LG, Samsung, and Amazon that can scan food items using RFID tags and provide features like inventory management and recipe suggestions. These fridges represent the integration of the Internet of Things (IoT) into everyday household appliances.

💡Optimus

Optimus is a robot developed by Tesla, designed to perform household chores and tasks that humans find undesirable. Elon Musk's announcement of Optimus in the video script signifies the potential for robotics to become a common part of domestic life, raising questions about the role of robots in our homes and society.

💡Biopolymer

A biopolymer is a type of polymer derived from renewable biological resources like plants. The video script mentions a refrigerator concept that uses a biopolymer gel to preserve food without electricity or ice. While the practicality of this concept is questioned, it illustrates the exploration of sustainable and innovative materials in technology design.

Highlights

Scientists and engineers are developing inventions that rival sci-fi gadgets.

Contact lenses that zoom in when you blink twice have been invented.

The zoom contact lenses track eye movements using electrical signals.

Exoskeletons like the Guardian XO can increase human strength.

The ReWalk exoskeleton allows paraplegic individuals to walk.

Moley Robotics' robot can cook meals with pre-programmed recipes.

Augmented reality displays in cars project information onto the windscreen.

Implanting microchips into the hand can unlock doors and make payments.

Cybernetic enhancements like USB fingers and camera eyes are becoming more common.

The Emerge Home device simulates touch in virtual reality.

The Omni One treadmill allows for natural movement in VR.

LED strips can be used to display information directly on the skin.

The Air Ring is a personal air purifier that filters air before it reaches your face.

Cryptide sneakers are fully 3D-printed with a single polymer material.

Smart fridges can track contents and recommend recipes.

A biopolymer gel fridge concept keeps food cool without electricity.

A metallic mesh sleeve can replace pacemakers and convert heartbeats into electricity.

Tesla's Optimus robot butler is intended to perform household chores.

Graphene is a super strong, lightweight material with great potential for future inventions.

Transcripts

- [Narrator] From "Star Wars" to "Avatar,"

the science fiction genre is known

for showcasing unbelievable gadgets, vehicles, and cities,

that are completely out of this world.

These movies feel like pure fantasy,

however, all their science fiction

might not stay fictional for much longer.

Scientists and engineers in the real world

are at work developing insane inventions

that can rival the gadgets of the silver screen.

Today, we're going to hop into our DeLoreans,

and zoom into the near future, looking at cyberchefs,

futuristic fashion, and literal cyborgs,

as we take a sneak peek at some inventions of the future

that will soon be available to everyone.

(slow relaxing music) (character screaming)

Zoom into the Future.

When you watch sci-fi movies,

the future seems a long way away.

However, time moves pretty fast,

and the world really can change

in the blink of an eye, sometimes quite literally.

In 2019, a group of scientists

from the University of California San Diego

invented an unbelievable accessory,

a set of contact lenses that zoom in when you blink twice.

When you look up, down or blink,

your eyes give off unique electrical signals

that corresponds to each movement.

The contact lenses contain electrodes

that track and respond to these electrical impulses,

and the lenses are crafted using polymers

that expand when an electric current is applied.

When the lenses register a double blink,

the polymer lenses change shape slightly,

increasing their magnification,

making everything appear 32% larger for the wearer.

An early version of the lenses

and other variations like them have already been built

but the researchers are still trying to figure out

how to make them out of gas-permeable plastic.

The material that's used in regular contacts.

This thin plastic allows oxygen to reach the wearer's eye,

letting them safely wear contacts all day

without damaging their eyesight.

There are a lot of applications for these lenses,

both cool and creepy alike,

but it's predicted to be a good few years

before they're released publicly.

So for now, your mother will need to continue squinting

at her phone every time she gets a text message.

(photo whooshing)

Super Suits.

As impressively strong as human bones can be.

The truth is we're all one tumble down the stairs away

from breaking an arm or a leg.

Thankfully, we'll soon be able

to reinforce our feeble bodies with exoskeletons,

giant mechanical suits

that are designed to make us faster and stronger.

The Guardian XO is a full body, rechargeable,

battery-powered exoskeleton

that can increase the wearer's strength,

allowing them to lift up to 200 pounds of weight

without straining.

The Guardian won't allow us to lift cars

or jump over buildings,

and that kind of stuff is still a way off.

However, it will use its electrical motors

and sophisticated array of 120 ultra-precise body sensors

to allow a person to comfortably lift a refrigerator,

a small couch, or say your mom.

This incredible piece of tech is available to buy now.

However, it currently costs a $100,000 per year to rent,

making it far too expensive for the average consumer.

Plus, it's better suited for moving house

than saving the world.

However, other exoskeletons were created

for more altruistic purposes.

The ReWalk is a lower body exoskeleton

that's designed to allow people with paraplegia

to stand upright, walk, and climb upstairs.

The exoskeleton has four powerful motors

at the hip and knee joints that are activated

when the user tilts their upper body in different directions

allowing significant mobility.

While the device currently costs up to $85,000 a unit,

the team behind the ReWalk

have started to make the tech available

on certain medical insurance plans,

and are aiming to make it cheaper over time.

So with any luck, the incredible device

will soon become more widespread,

changing 1,000s of lives for the better

(slow relaxing music) (photo whooshing)

Cyberchef.

Until we evolve to plug ourselves

into an outlet for charging,

human beings will need to eat and drink.

However, in the future, we might not need to cook.

Back in 2015, Moley Robotics

had the culinary world shouting holy moly

when they unveiled a robot that can use

its two giant hands to cook your meals.

The gadget comes pre-programmed with 1,000s of recipes

from award-winning chefs,

and it will pour, stir, and sizzle its way

to culinary perfection.

While the robot can't prep ingredients just yet

as its creators are reluctant to give it a knife,

it will recognize specialized ingredient containers,

and what they've been assigned to contain.

Using this customizable recognition,

you can input your own recipes

into the device's touchscreen,

allowing the machine to perfectly recreate

grandma's famous spaghetti with robotic precision.

Though admittedly, not quite the level of elegant precision

in the CGI render you're seeing here.

The real version isn't quite that pretty yet,

but the most expensive variant

does cost an eye-watering $340,000 nonetheless.

Still no one ever said living in the future was cheap,

and if futuristic food is what you crave,

this is as good as it gets.

(slow relaxing music) (photo whooshing)

No WayRay!

From Doc's DeLorean to Luke's X-Wing,

sci-fi movies are full of futuristic vehicles

that put our cars to shame.

However, with new innovative technologies,

real world vehicles are growing increasingly futuristic.

An augmented reality display, for example,

is a gadget that's predicted to become widespread

in cars over the next couple of decades,

and exists in limited forms even today.

This amazing tech turns a car's windscreen

into a holographic smart device

by projecting a bunch of information

straight onto the glass in front of the driver.

AR devices can use built-in cameras

to scan the road in front of you, building a digital image,

which it can interact with.

A laser and optical fiber system

then projects images up onto the windscreen

at an ideal angle to reach the driver's eyes.

These images appear to be overlaid onto reality,

allowing amazing things,

like overlaying an ideal racing line onto the asphalt,

showing you where you should drive for maximum efficiency.

These cameras also constantly

scan for any potential hazards on the road

drawing your attention to pedestrians crossing the street,

or cars pulling out in front of you.

A tech company called WayRay

has created an AR display that can turn your daily commute

into a video game by scoring your driving as you go,

and letting you compete with your friends.

And that might sound like a terrible idea,

but the WayRay will score you on how safely you drive,

giving you points for staying in your lane,

stopping at red lights, and driving at safe speeds,

which is great, but I'd be lying

if I said I wasn't a little disappointed,

it doesn't give you points for stunt jumps.

(slow relaxing music continues)

Man or Machine.

Over the last decade,

it's become increasingly popular to turn yourself

into a cyborg

by implanting a tiny microchip into your hand.

These microchips are the same

as the ones inside digital house keys,

bank cards, and E-tickets.

So once your implant is linked to your online accounts,

you can buy your groceries, open your front door,

and access public transport with the flick of a wrist.

Unfortunately, there are some serious privacy concerns

about the microchips.

In theory, the companies that produce the chips

put measures in place to track you

every time you use the device,

keeping a log of almost everything you do,

and your location at all times.

These privacy concerns have prompted lots of wannabe cyborgs

to make their own cybernetic enhancements at home.

Back in 2008, software engineer, Jerry Jalava,

lost the tip of his finger in a motorcycle accident.

Jerry was offered an ordinary prosthetic

to replace the appendage.

However, he decided to use one fitted

with a USB stick instead.

Using. it to store photos

and a few different computer programs.

Similarly, in 2007,

a documentary filmmaker called Rob Spence

had to have his eye removed due to an injury.

Instead of replacing the eye with an ordinary prosthetic,

Rob decided to fit his empty socket with a working camera

that he could use to shoot his documentaries.

He fit the camera with an on off switch,

a 30 minute battery, and a glowing red light

that turns on whenever he starts filming

to prove that he can't secretly record anybody

without their consent.

That's a nice sentiment, Rob,

but you just inadvertently made your prosthetic

100 times creepier, couldn't you have made the light green?

For most of us,

cybernetic enhancements might seem extreme and unnerving,

but if they become more legitimate

and commercialized in the future,

it seems conceivable

that they'll become a part of everyday life,

but what would you rather have,

a thumb drive in your index finger

or a digital camera in your eyeball?

Let me note in the comments below.

(slow relaxing music continues)

Virtually Reality.

Today, lots of people love the ever-evolving world

of virtual reality,

but currently playing VR games

still comes with a risk of motion sickness,

jumping face-first into a wall,

and accidentally knocking out grandma.

The platform is definitely still in its infancy,

however, a ton of gaming companies

are currently developing some insane new technologies

that are leading virtual reality

into an eventual new age of realism.

The Emerge Home is an incredible gadget

that allows you to physically feel the things

you touch in VR.

With the Emerge Home,

you use your bare hands as the controller,

and when you grab something in the game,

the device's panel will send a series of ultrasonic waves,

meaning sound waves that are too high of frequency

for humans to hear, right up to hit your hand,

simulating the feeling of touch.

This technology allows users to physically feel it

every time they pick up a weapon, high-five a teammate,

or hold hands with their virtual girlfriend,

making VR games far more immersive and realistic.

Unfortunately, the company has yet to release the product

for public trials,

and the panel can only sense your hand if you hold it

less than three feet away,

forcing gamers to sit relatively still.

Other VR Tech is designed to give the player

a bit more freedom though.

The Omni One treadmill is a device that allows users

to walk sprint, crouch, and jump in VR,

while a harness keeps their body fixed in one place,

the user wears a pair of special slippery shoes,

allowing them to move on the Omni One

without actually going anywhere.

The treadmill contains sensors that pick up on this movement

before transferring it to the in-game character.

The technology is pretty incredible,

but unfortunately it's a bit too immersive for some people.

- What the hell is that?

Hey, I'm not playing, fool!

(player screaming) (person laughing)

Hey, ah!

Stop, you need to stop.

How about that? - Looks like one hell

of a workout.

(slow relaxing music continues)

Talk to the Hand.

Back in 2016, a group of scientists

at the University of Tokyo developed a new invention

that turns our skin into a light up display.

The device is essentially an adhesive strip

full of LEDs that can be used to display words,

numbers, and emojis on your skin.

The lights can also connect

to other smart devices wirelessly,

alerting you if someone is calling your phone

or knocking on your front door,

the adhesive display will use a strip

of conductive gold paste to connect a set

of electrodes stuck to your skin.

These electrodes will be able to read your heart rate

and blood pressure before passing that information along

to the LEDs on your hand

which are powered by a flexible battery.

If the device senses low blood pressure,

it can display an alert to prompt you to take medication,

potentially saving an elderly patient's life.

These medical functions

could prove to be very valuable in the future.

However, the device's social functions

do currently seem a bit less useful.

We get it, guy, you're happy.

You don't have to tell us twice.

(slow relaxing music continues)

Future Facewear.

This device might look like a futuristic neck brace,

but it's actually a personal air purifier

called the Air Ring.

The device is a portable face mask

that sucks in air from the outside world,

and filters out the viruses and pollutants

before blasting clean air back onto your face.

Air pollution currently contributes to the deaths

of 7 million people every year,

and as industrial cities continue to grow,

it's a problem that's not likely to go away

without some serious action.

So in the meantime,

you may be best off wearing a futuristic air purifier

like the Air Ring.

The device filters air through a set

of particle-absorbing foam,

then sterilizes it using a UV light

before finally sending the air

through a long carbon filter just before the outlet.

It can be fitted with a series of detachable masks

ranging from partial face screens to a giant hood

depending on how safe or antisocial you wanna be.

It might look a little goofy now, but before long,

light-up air purifiers like the Air Ring

might well become the hottest fashion trend

because even if the air is toxic

it's important to look out outrageously cool

in a range of colors, right?

(slow relaxing music continues)

Sci-fi Sneakers.

Let's stay on the cyber catwalk

and check out another piece of futuristic fashion.

The Cryptide sneaker from Sintratex

is a fully 3D-printed shoe

that might just be the future of footwear.

It's made out of just one material

a special polymer called TPE Elastomer.

The TPE is thicker and thinner in different places

meaning that specific parts of the shoe are rigid

while others are soft and flexible.

This means the shoe is both comfortable

and incredibly fast to manufacture

as the whole thing can be printed out in one go

without requiring any stitching or gluing.

The Cryptide's scaffolding style sole

means that the sneakers are incredibly comfortable.

However, if you want to "Star Trek" through the snow,

you might need some footwear that's a bit heavier duty.

The Flux Snowshoe is an incredibly advanced set of kicks

created by designer, Eric Brunt.

When you step down on the shoes,

they become flat spreading your surface area out

to let you stand more comfortably on top of deep snow.

However, when you lift your leg

the shoes become flexible folding in on themselves

to let the user walk with a natural gait.

The Flux snowshoes make walking on icy terrain

snow problem at all,

and although the sneakers don't tie themselves,

or let you fly through the air,

they do give us a sneak peek at the future of fashion.

I've got to admit, with VR glasses, hand displays,

light-up masks and high-tech snowshoes,

our grandkids are going to be pretty stylish.

(slow relaxing music continues)

Fresh in the Future.

Currently, most of us store our perishable food

inside normal fridges,

primitive appliances that can't tell us the time

or what the weather's like outside.

Luckily, we won't have to put up with these pieces of junk

for much longer

(fridge thudding)

as the world's biggest tech companies

start to develop smart fridges

with some unbelievable features.

Currently, LG, Samsung, and Amazon

are all working on fridges that can scan their own contents,

keeping track of the food you place inside them.

These fridges will boast touchscreen displays

that can let you know when you're starting to run low

on certain items, let you reorder the products,

and recommend you recipes based on the ingredients you have.

The technology will make sure you never run

out of milk again, but how does it work?

Well, the idea is that the food packaging you place

in the fridge will be chipped with an RFID tag,

this is a scannable tag that's increasingly being used

by food manufacturers to manage stock and shipping

as they can be scanned using radio waves

eliminating the need for the direct sight of a barcode.

By scanning these RFID tags in your food packaging,

the fridge can constantly keep an accurate inventory

of the food.

That sounds great,

but can they also identify the strange goo

growing in my vegetable drawer?

No, well, then they're useless to me.

These smart fridges are pretty spectacular.

However, they have competition.

This big box of slime is a refrigerator concept

that doesn't use electricity or ice to keep your food cool.

Instead, relying on a gigantic blob

of biopolymer gel to keep your produce

in a space completely deprived of oxygen.

The fridge is silent, odorless, and lightweight.

However, you do have to watch your dinner swim around

in a vat of green slime all day

which might ruin your appetite.

The fridge looks awesome

but lots of netizens have questioned

whether the concept is actually possible to build,

asking what happens if the gel gets loose crumbs,

or spilled liquid in it,

people have also questioned whether the fridge

could actually preserve food,

given that there aren't any motors

to actively cool stuff down,

and the creator has been very vague

about the mechanism of the so-called biopolymer.

He claims it consists of countless microscopic nanobots

that would draw heat from anything placed inside,

though as far as how we'd make these nanobots,

or how they would draw the heat

without emitting their own,

well, it seems the designer

is relying on the engineers of tomorrow

to iron out those little details.

(slow relaxing music continues)

Heart Wrap.

If someone tells me they have a broken heart,

I immediately prescribe them with a tub

of chocolate ice cream, a Hugh Grant rom-com, and a hug.

However, if you're suffering from a genuine heart condition,

you're definitely better off going

to see a licensed medical professional.

Currently, lots of heart conditions

are treated with pacemakers.

These small implants monitor your heart,

and zap it with electricity

when it starts beating irregularly,

jumpstarting the muscles back into a normal rhythm.

Pacemakers work well,

but they have to be replaced when their battery runs out,

requiring surgery every seven years.

However, a group of professors from the Universities

of Illinois and Washington

have developed a new futuristic device

to replace pacemakers,

that on top of other wonderful things,

allows patients to detect heart attacks

with their smartphone.

The device is a metallic mesh sleeve

that's specially tailored to fit around the patient's heart.

Like a regular pacemaker,

the device will automatically shock your heart

if it detects irregular beating.

However, the device can also power itself indefinitely

by converting your heartbeats into electricity.

This is possible due to the lead zirconate titanate

it's constructed of,

which has the fascinating quality

of generating a small electric current

each time it is placed under physical stress.

In this case, by the beating of the heart.

This current is used to keep a tiny rechargeable battery

topped up which fuels any required jolts to the heart,

and other clever functions.

All of this connects to a smartphone app

that displays your current metabolism,

blood pH level, and body temperature in real time.

Amazingly, this can make it clear

you're about to have a heart attack

long before you actually feel any physical symptoms.

Then, needless to say during cardiac arrest,

every second counts.

They really do have an app for everything these days.

Unfortunately, the technology won't be released

for at least another 15 years

so let's just hope our hearts don't give out

before the device hits the market.

Better Slow down on the Five Guys.

(slow relaxing music continues)

Nope-Bots.

So far, we've looked at fridges, footwear, face masks,

robot chef arms, but we haven't covered

the most important sci-fi invention of all, robot butlers.

In 2021, Elon Musk and Tesla

announced the development of Optimus,

a bipedal robot butler that's designed to do the jobs

that humans don't wanna do.

Musk says that the robot should be taking out our trash

and sweeping our floors by 2027

when it'll be released to the public for just $20,000.

That's pretty exciting news.

However, some experts think that Elon's claims

are incredibly farfetched,

noting that currently Optimus walks like it's peed its pants

and some experts predict it'll take decades

to fully develop.

Regardless of when the Tesla bot comes out,

it looks like a sci-fi world filled with robots

is lying just over the horizon.

But even if that's true,

do we actually want robots in our homes?

(tense ominous music)

This devil child is the CB2,

a robot designs to mimic the physical

and mental capabilities of a two-year-old.

The four-foot tall bundle of horror

was designed to see whether a robot AI

could slowly develop social skills

by interacting with humans

and watching them socialize with each other.

It uses sophisticated processors to record

and evaluate information,

including 197 sensors under its skin to register touch,

and eye cameras that can record

and understand human facial expressions.

Since its creation in 2007,

the CB2 has reportedly learned how to walk,

and it's started to gain a better understanding

of social norms,

allegedly maturing to respond appropriately

in social situations.

If that wasn't impressive enough,

the robot's creator believes that it should eventually

be able to teach itself how to speak

in short sentences

using its pre-installed artificial vocal cord.

This technology is pretty incredible, but again,

even if the future invention becomes widespread

I'm not sure I want it inside my home.

I don't care if it has the mind of a two-year-old,

if that thing calls me Dada, I'm throwing it out the window.

(slow relaxing music continues)

Graphene.

We've looked at some insane sci-fi inventions today,

however we haven't looked at the futuristic materials

that they're going to be made out of.

Currently, our world is ruled

by plastic, metal, and concrete,

but the inventions of the future

will be built with something else

a world-changing material called graphene.

Everything in the universe is made out of atoms.

You, me, the air we're currently breathing

while most materials and objects

are made of several connected layers of atoms,

graphene is one of the few materials

that's made up of just one layer of carbon.

This means that a sheet of graphene

is around 1 million times thinner than a piece of paper,

which combined with its strength,

gives the material some unbelievable properties,

and that strength, I mentioned, oh boy.

Graphene's hexagonal structure is incredibly sturdy,

so much so, it's currently the strongest material

ever discovered,

measured to be over 200 times stronger than steel.

Despite its strength,

the ultra-thin material is also incredibly light,

and if you covered a football field with a sheet of graphene

it would still weigh less than a single dollar bill.

Electricity can easily pass

across graphene's single layer hexagonal structure,

so it can also conduct electricity

1,000 times better than copper,

and 250 times better than silicon,

the material we currently use in computer chips.

Graphene's potential is incredible, but unfortunately,

it's incredibly difficult and expensive to make

so scientists can only manufacture small amounts

of it at a time.

It's currently one of the most expensive materials

in the world, and we have no idea

how to mass produce high-quality versions of graphene

in a cost-effective way.

That's a bummer,

but it doesn't mean the wonder material is totally useless.

Graphene can be mixed with concrete

or metal powders to create hybrid materials

that are incredibly strong, lightweight and conductive.

This means that a pinch of graphene

can vastly improve buildings, cars, and electronics,

by making stronger walls,

lighter metal panels, and faster computer chips.

Currently, a giant pile of iron dust like this, for example,

can be bolstered with graphene to create a composite

far stronger than regular iron.

It's definitely a good start

and scientists are slowly figuring out

how to effectively mass produce graphene

to be used on its own with the wonder material

steadily becoming cheaper to manufacture,

and if this progress continues,

we'll soon be able to make an array

of unbelievable inventions that'll change our lives,

and truly push humanity into the future.

Which futuristic invention are you most excited to own?

Are there any more on the horizon you're excited about?

Let me know in the comments below,

and as always, thanks for watching.

(uptempo cheery music)