原创 Transformational Technologies

Over the past 2 weeks we have been looking at some of the advances that are taking place in the automobile segment and the impact that electronics has on them. Lets shift gears and cruise on a different path to look at emerging technologies that can transform our lives in the future. In my opinion, it will be worthwhile to keep a watch on these technologies and look at their evolution.

Here are a couple of Transformational Technologies that are likely to impact our lives in the coming years:

1. Human beings have a basic need to communicate between themselves. This has several barriers like language and culture. With globalization increasingly becoming pervasive, there is a strong need to break these barriers. A researcher at IBM is pioneering the concept of a Universal Translation Software. This technology derives meanings from phrases in one language and conveys it in any other language, enabling people from different cultures to communicate. This will have wide impact from health care to mobiles and cell phones. New semiconductor technologies will enable the creation of such products in a very low cost manner.

2. There is a constant need for miniaturization, especially in the electronics area. Conventional technologies will only take us till the laws of physics allow them to. There need to emerge a technology that will change the fundamental ways that the electronic products are created in a cost effective manner. Nanotechnology promises to be that magic science and will positively impact areas like power production to medical diagnostics to electronic devices. Nano materials and technologies will revolutionize the creation of sensors, flat panel displays and super efficient lighting. "Lab on a chip" is not far away to appear in the market using nanotechnology.

3. With the advent of IT and 'electronization' of every possible thing from bank accounts to public records to large corporate data and whatever, there is the problem of handling huge amounts of data and storing them efficiently! An Indian scientist at MIT is researching on Distributed Storage Technology. This allows storage of data in the nooks and crannies of internet for the individual and companies. This technology is supposed to eliminate the threat of catastrophes - from blackouts to hard disk crashes. Costs of storage devices have already becoming very affordable and extremely small form factors are available today making distributed storage highly affordable. This has been possible because of semiconductors and this will not be the end.

4. Globalization is leading to increased travel across the globe. Along with this increase, the threat perceptions have also increased, leading to security concerns. X-Rays are not proving to be versatile and effective. This observation is also true for the medical field, with X-Rays causing harmful ionization. A radically new technology called T-Rays (Tera Hertz Radiation) is emerging. T-Rays penetrate many common materials. This promises to transform fields like airport security and medical imaging. T-Rays reveal not only shapes, but also composition of material - from explosives to cancers. Semiconductor technologies along with efficient image sensing, reconstructing and processing algorithms will make this a reality soon.

5. Wireless technologies are increasingly becoming indispensable in our lives. The convergence of voice, video and data (the so called Triple Play) are increasingly becoming popular along with mobility. With mobility comes the problem of an efficient power source. The promise is a new generation of battery technologies. Thin, bendable batteries have become a hotly competitive area especially with the emerging applications like E-Paper, active RFID tags and smart cards. Host of new technologies including solid state design, metal Li electrodes and printing are being developed. Thin and bendable batteries are closer to reality. Today they are being used in unusual areas like cosmetology!

All these technologies will no doubt, influence our lives when products using such technologies appear in the market. Will these trends influence the way we develop products in the future? Lets think about it and discuss later. Your views will be of great help in carrying forward a healthy discussion.

Paddy SN