Not that long ago the idea that our phones would be powerful pocket-size computers seemed like science fiction. Today, it’s hard to find someone whose mobile device functions solely as a phone.
Now comes news that we’re already in the process of taking another giant leap from science fiction to science fact.
In business (and often our personal lives) we spend a lot of time creating content and images on a screen, or scanning screens for information. How much time do you spend each day staring at a phone screen, tablet, desktop, laptop or TV?
There are already innovators working on ways to free us from screens through sophisticated wearable devices and augmented-reality systems. While some early-version products have already entered the consumer market, the vision is to take us much farther.
Recently, Fast Company talked with some consumer electronics companies about the future they see. The result is a revealing look at how innovators are thinking years ahead of what we regular folks may only be imagining.
Soon to come are more wearable applications, gesture controls and eye tracking. These will be designed to seamlessly blend with our physical world. For example, we would no longer require a tablet, phone or app to operate a “smart” home — innovations would remove the need for on-screen applications.
In the envisioned future, we’ll achieve automatic access, and we won’t have to think about coordinating through a screen. Technology will disappear behind the curtain, becoming invisible to us.
Sounds like science fiction, doesn’t it? But it’s just one more thing that’s fast becoming fact.
Check out Fast Company’s article.