The world in 2040 – flying cars, electric airplanes, jetpacks, and the world of blockchain
No matter how much we try, it’s all but impossible to predict what the future holds in regards to technology. The gadgets and devices of the distant future will surely blow our minds. But what about the technology that’s right around the corner?
- Are helicopters really the future of transportation? We may not have viable flying cars just yet, but brands are itching to change the way we travel. Since Uber’s helicopter taxi was announced at CES 2019, it’s become clear the future of transportation is in the skies.
- Can I buy a flying car today? Ever since Chitty Chitty Bang Bang first took off, the flying car has been considered the holy grail of futuristic transport. These are the vehicles that are turning dreams into reality.
- Where can I find more tech gadgets? Stay up to date with all the latest tech gadgets and cool tech products from major tech company product announcements to the latest crowdfunding campaigns from our category.
2019 began with the launch of foldable smartphones, showing us the future of technology isn’t so far away. And as time moves on, more and more unseen and unique technologies are coming to life. Back in the 90s, we couldn’t imagine a robot like Sophia, interacting like a human, taking selfies just like any other person would. But that’s what technology is all about. It might seem unreal at one point in time but, after a few years, that same concept turns into an everyday reality.
Being a part of the crowdfunding industry, we feel the world of innovation and invention is at a much better place as compared to what it was before. Today, people have the opportunity to give life to their tech ideas with a simple crowdfunding campaign. But not every concept turns into a reality and when such things happen, we feel shattered as tech enthusiasts. We want to highlight all those tech concepts and campaigns that may seem like far-fetched ideas today but in 2040, we might just be using them as mainstream tech every day.
So, we decided to look through some of the best tech concepts that we believe should be available by around 2040. From jetpacks to blockchain, technology is on a never-ending roll. All you have to do is just predict something bizarre and just wait for it to come to life!
Solar roadways becoming a worldwide reality
When the concept of building expensive solar panels on the ground and driving pollution-spewing vehicles over them became quite popular around six years back, it seemed like we are finally going to do something to save energy. However, the construction of the solar roadways turned out to be a failure. These roadways weren’t as robust as they were supposed to be. So, “Wattway,” the French solar road installation, came to a halt and is considered a failure since 2018. But with every failure is the opportunity to grow and expand, to further innovate. This idea of solar roadways is something that can not only help us use less oil for cars but also save a lot of natural energy at the same time. This is why we’d like it to be a mainstream reality by 2040 across the globe. Of course, it will need a lot of major improvements before we can get there.
French Solar Roadway Installation Called Wattway
Flying cars as real and affordable as can be
Last year we wrote a blog where we highlighted three major flying cars that can be pre-ordered today. But the pricing of these vehicles is in millions. Because of that, flying cars are nothing more than a luxurious splurge in today’s time. With capabilities of cruising for 466 miles at up to 161 mph, these cars will make 2019 transportation look like the Stone Age. Imagine spending just a fraction of the time during your daily commute because your family has a flying car. Since these cars are no longer a concept but already something that is available for purchase, we feel that by 2040, flying cars will become more affordable and attainable for everyday users.
PAL-V Liberty is the First-Ever Production Flying Car
Electric airplanes with low carbon footprint
Yes, we’ve seen major airline providers invest in electric airplanes for testing. However, strategic partnerships have still not picked up mainstream mobility. That’s what we would like to see in 2040. Electric airplanes produce farr less noise pollution and emissions and are also more mechanically efficient than conventional fuel planes. In fact, they may end up being cheaper to fly due to reduced fuel and maintenance costs. Boeing and Safran recently announced a joint investment in Electric Power Systems (EPS), a company offering lightweight energy storage products for electric airplanes. As told by Nathan Millecam, EPS chief executive officer:
Electrification of flight has the potential to fundamentally change how goods, services and humans connect. We are thrilled to work with visionary companies such as Boeing and Safran to further develop and field advanced energy solutions that can meet real world mission demands.
Bell Nexus Electric Air Taxi
Real jetpacks make transportation even more fun
We already touched on flying cars, but one other form of transportation that we’d love to see in 2040 is jetpacks. And, considering Franky Zapata successfully crossed the English Channel (even after failing his first attempt), we think this won’t be a far-fetched dream for 2040. The major concern still lies in sustaining the battery life and safety of individuals using jetpacks for transportation. We don’t want it to be a theme-park ride or novelty for a science museum but more of an everyday transportation system all of us can use with proper training and practice.
Blockchain technology dominating world trade
We’re all aware of cryptocurrencies and their massive popularity since 2017. Some call it a hype, some call it the future. Believe it or not, blockchain technology is here to stay. Shaping that technology to become the world leader in online trade can take some time but by 2040, we believe things will be a whole lot different than it does now. Inspired by the predictions from Blockchain Expo, we assume that:
– Cryptocurrency may be the government currency of the future because it’s more efficient and we could see reduced settlement times. It’s also more easily traceable.
– In the future blockchain era, trillion-dollar tokens will outnumber trillion-dollar companies. These tokens help to support what’s known as a decentralized ecosystem of entities, meaning we wouldn’t see mega-corporations.
– Blockchain technology may be used for unification. As a result, there would be less chaos and fragmented business relationships.
– Finally, blockchain technology has the potential to shrink the poverty gap. It could achieve this by “increasing financial inclusiveness, reducing corruption, and enabling decentralized access to value-creating assets.”
Personal robots no longer just a concept
We’ve all been seeing as well as using some form of robots in our everyday lives for the past few years. Whether it’s a smart home cleaning robot or smart pet treat-flinging camera, robots in our current time have improved a lot over the past few years. But what’s the future of robots? With just one Sophia and a series of Boston Dynamics robots, we can’t say that personal robots have truly improved or taken off. There have been companies with promising entries like Jibo and Kuri, but they too shut down last year, thereby making the entire concept still a far-fetched reality. The process of building suitable and practical robots is expensive but the outcome is the ultimate future technology. So by 2040, we’re hoping to see a lot more of personal robots in our everyday life which can interact as well as make our lives easier with smart control.
Advertising with holograms and augmented reality
You might have already come across holograms and augmented reality-based advertisements but they still aren’t a mainstream game yet. By 2040, we would love to see marketing take a giant leap influenced by technology that can not only save paper (no traditional billboards) but also make the entire process more interactive and immersive for consumers. The primary goal of an advertisement is to reach out to the masses. Without a proper interactive layout, no advertisement can do the job it’s supposed to do. With holograms and AR displays, things might just be more fun and engaging, reaching more people than ever before. For 2040, this seems like the obvious way forward.
Human microchipping is the future of smart technology
It might sound creepy but human microchipping is how you can control your life in the future. Whether it’s about opening a smart lock or storing your entire medical history, you can literally have technology in your skin in the future. These RFID chips inserted in your skin can make an identification or smart control of things around you so much easier. In fact, some brands are already introducing microchips to keep track of employees. However, considering the health factor, we feel this technology needs more time to develop to be safer for use.
Human Microchipping with RFID Chips
Aquatic tube superhighways
Yes, we know the Hyperloop and how Elon Musk is trying to reduce transportation time across far-off countries from hours to minutes. By 2040, we hope to see more and more companies coming into play and making futuristic aquatic tubes that transform transportation from scratch. Having multiple options will also help to bring down costs, making it a more viable method of transportation. Zooming through entire countries at that speed is unbelievable and we just hope this technology comes sooner and at an affordable price. In fact, researchers say that “aquatic tube superhighways traveled in via pods will let commuters zip between the UK and Scandinavia in under an hour.”
Quidditch-style aerial sports in hoverboards
Well, not all futuristic technology should be restricted to improving our lives. We’d love to see technology coming into the world of entertainment where we can finally set down the remote. With hoverboards in the limelight, we think Quidditch-style aerial games are not that far-fetched anymore. Whether it would be soccer or basketball or just Quidditch for Muggles, we don’t know. But we surely can’t wait!
Quidditch-Style Aerial Sports Matches / Credit: Mercury Press
Space tourism
SpaceX’s space tourism models have been in the news for quite some time. With 2019 being the first year where space tourism is actually being considered as a reality, by 2040, we feel this technology is going to be even more mainstream and less expensive. Earlier this year, Elon Musk announced using Crew Dragon as a vehicle for taking space tourists on their space holiday. For those of who you aren’t aware, Crew Dragon is a passenger version of the company’s robotic Dragon cargo ship, and SpaceX plans to use the craft to send astronauts to the International Space Station for NASA. By 2040, we’re assuming there will be multiple brands with their hat in the ring, bringing down costs and making this a reality, albeit still an expensive one.
Drones will take over logistics
Amazon and Jubilant Foodworks have been trying to incorporate drone food delivery already. By 2040, we feel this will be a mainstream reality. In fact, in 2016, Amazon delivered its first package via drone delivery — however on a trial run. But even after three years, we still don’t see Prime Air, leading us to believe there may be some issues in safety. However, by 2040, drones will probably be the primary transportation system in logistics which will not just save time but increase efficiency as well.
Nanobots in medicine development
Nanotechnology is truly something to marvel at. It allows researchers the ability to improve data quality and analyze better than ever. If that wasn’t great already, nanotechnology requires a smaller sample size and takes up less storage space. Altogether, this means we can expedite development like never before. Add in robots performing the work of humans, and we’re on a limitless track to solutions, cures, and discoveries.
Human reincarnation with AI
It sounds scary and very Black Mirror-esque, but Kurzweil says that we will be able to “bring back” our relatives through artificial intelligence. The technology would involve nanobots that go into people’s brains to extract memories of loved ones. Once that is augmented with a DNA sampling of the deceased, we’ll be able to create a convincing virtual version of somebody who’s passed on. While 2040 may not have a solid grip on this technology, at least the topic will be at the forefront of technology’s next creation.
Artificial intelligence will bring in more jobs
While it’s common thinking that AI will remove more jobs than add new, a Forbes prediction says that in 2020, AI will become a positive net job motivator, creating 2.3M jobs while eliminating only 1.8M jobs. With this in mind, we’d have to assume that by 2040, we’d have even more jobs thanks to AI.
Charging your phone with a plant
Bioo has been working on a way to create electricity from nature which is a lot about improving our lives and reducing our carbon footprint for the better. In 2040, we’d like to see more and more such companies come into play who’ll make everyday activities, such as charging our devices, doable with plants. That way, we’ll have a greener future and a sustainable development at the same time.
It’s still unclear how much technology will we get to see in the coming years. Maybe some of the above-mentioned technologies wouldn’t manage to go mainstream by that time. No matter what, life with technology will never come to a stop.
Which one of these tech concepts would you like to experience sooner than 2040? Share with us in the comments below.
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