Engineering On The Edge

Science fiction frequently becomes science fact, a truth that anyone who watched Captain Kirk talk into a flip-top mobile communications device will understand. Even technology that seems to be on the fringe isn’t necessarily as unlikely as it might seem. Of course, the future is more than just better smart phones. Read on to find out what IBM, one of the most prolific innovators in the world, thinks design engineers will be incorporating into products by 2017.

IBM's 2011 5 in 5 list.

IBM’s sixth annual “IBM 5 in 5” list showcases five areas of innovative technology they believe will impact people’s lives within five years. This year’s list includes:

1. renewable energy sources,
2. use of biometrics for identity security,
3. the field of bioinformatics,
4. the end of the digital divide,
5. and tailored advertising.

The sorts of renewable energy that IBM believes will have an impact in the near future includes the usual suspects, such as improved lithium batteries to power electric cars, but it also looks to less publicized methods of power generation. One such area is called parasitic power collection. This idea looks at how people move and how that movement might be used to generate energy. The example IBM includes is the possibility of incorporating a small energy capture device into shoes that can collect enough power to recharge your cell phone.

As more and more information moves online, business and companies are looking for better methods of securing that data and IBM believe biometrics is the way forward. This includes using a combination of retinal scans, facial recognition software and voice ID in place of memorizing a slew of 10-digit passwords, or carrying easily stolen credit, debit and security cards.

IBM is researching how to link your brain to computers and mobile devices.

Bioinformatics may sound like technobabble, but it refers to using, “advanced sensors to read electrical brain activity that can recognize facial expressions, excitement and concentration levels, and thoughts of a person without them physically taking any actions.” If you’ve ever wanted to move a cursor just by thinking about it, or wanted to check behind you in Halo by simply turning your head, bioinformatics is what could make that happen.

The growth of the Internet has given regular folks access to a vast sea of information. Unfortunately, not everyone has beachfront property. IBM believes the digital divide can be bridged by cheaper mobile devices and innovations in ways of accessing information. In places where literacy and poverty both limit how much people can learn from online sources, IBM (and other companies) have used speech technology in combination with low-cost mobile devices to bring information to the masses.

No one likes spam, but would it be more acceptable if advertising was tailored to your specific interests? IBM believes that spam filters will become so sophisticated that special offers from African princes will cease to exist. In their place will be real-time analytics that follow your interests and lifestyle—mainly winnowed from social networks—to present you with offers you might actually find attractive. Imagine being notified when your favorite band is coming to town on a day your calendar is free. If nothing else, those sorts of notifications beat 20 Viagra offers.

Take a look at IBM’s 5 in 5 video below.

Source: IBM