Three tech innovations driving industries into the future

A decade ago, the smartphone was an incendiary thrown into the economy. It brought with it a surge of new innovations, created new industries and spelled the end for others. There is a whole new wave of technology that is transforming industries and opening doors, while simultaneously eradicating others.

1 Drones

Delivery services has been one of the most talked about possibilities of what the modern era of drones has in store for us. The reality is however, that these are still in the early stages of development and are more complicated than simply strapping a package to a drone and sending it on its way. There are aviation laws and best practices to consider, the potential for accidents and misuse, privacy concerns, and many other factors to take into account before delivery drones are seen regularly dropping packages on doorsteps.

Instead, the areas where drones are becoming commonplace, aside from the military, have been industries that operate across large areas. Agriculture has been a growth area for drone technology, with unmanned aerial vehicles providing a fast and cost-effective way to monitor large areas without the time and man hours usually required to send a person on reconnaissance.

2 The Internet of Things

A deliberately vague name, The Internet of Things encompasses all the interconnected devices you can name. Fridges, cars, televisions and anything described as a “smart” device comprises The Internet of Things. The implications are huge and there are many commercial and industrial applications already in place that take advantage of the technology. Airplane engines, oil rig drill bits, and more, are all monitored remotely via the same technology that shoots your photos to all your devices and makes your movies play on the tv from your smartphone. As the technology advances, there will be more opportunities to automate processes that are too dangerous for humans, those that require computer precision, and thousands upon thousands of uses yet to be conceived. These ramifications will be felt in industries as diverse as agriculture, transportation, healthcare, and more.

3 Artificial intelligence

The concept of AI has been around for centuries, from the earliest calculating devices, to the Turing machines and fictional creations like Frankenstein’s monster, right through to today’s inventions that have catapulted humanity into the future. The possibilities in the 21st century and beyond are endless, with automation replacing work that is more and more complex.

Driverless cars are just one area that is gaining a lot of ground and many manufacturers already have models that park automatically using sensors. This technology will become more sophisticated and soon people won’t think twice about leaving control of the vehicle to a computer. The ramifications will be wide reaching, from the taxi and delivery industries, to military and industrial applications. In fact, the mining industry already uses self-driving vehicles to increase productivity. Driverless trucks can run round the clock, every day, reducing the dangers associated with human error and fatigue, as well as enabling people to stay clear of the more dangerous elements of the work.


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