Technology is rapidly advancing, and gadgets that seemed only possible in science fiction films are becoming a reality in today’s quickly moving tech industry. In their quest to improve the world and provide humanity with high-tech toys, engineers and designers are conceptualizing groundbreaking inventions. Here are the top five most amazing tech prototypes coming your way.
Jeeva phone
One of the coolest tech gadgets we’ve seen is Jeeva phone. Imagine a phone that absorbs light and radio frequency waves from its surroundings and never needs to be charged. That is exactly the device that is currently being developed by Jeeva wireless co-founder Vamsi Talla. Talla has developed the technology that allows his prototype phone to eschew batteries. Best of all, the Jeeva phone only costs $1 to manufacture, making it ideal for customers in developing nations like Talla’s native India.
Translation earpieces
Chinese tech startup TimeKettle is taking machine translation to the next level with their WTC translation earpiece. WCT uses two Bluetooth earpieces connected with an iPhone or Android app to provide instant translation. Two people wearing the earpieces can communicate and understand each other in completely different languages. WTC will offer six different languages upon launch: English, Mandarin, French, German, Japanese and Spanish.
Not to be outdone, Google just unveiled their Google Pixel Buds. When you pair them with your new device, the Pixel 2, Google Assistant can translate over 40 languages in real time. Sort of. According to The Verge, translations were “very fast” but involved a less than seamless translation process. Holding your finger to your ear, you’d say “help me speak Italian” and proceed with your phrase. As you lift your finger the app would showcase your translation. To actually communicate with someone Italian, you would show them the app and phrase. To reply, they would hold down a button on your phone, speak the answer and you’d hear the reply in your buds. Cool stuff nonetheless!
Hydrogen One holographic smartphone
If you’ve ever watched “Minority Report” and wondered when engineers are going to develop a useful version of the cool holographic screen Tom Cruise’s character uses, your wait is over. RED and startup Leia Inc. have announced that their new Android smartphone will feature a holographic screen that can be used to play games, watch movies and display images, all in 3D. The phone also reportedly has a feature that allows for 3D sound. The Hydrogen One is scheduled for release sometime in 2018 and definitely one of the coolest tech gadgets coming your way.
Toybox
This might be the coolest tech gadgets of them all. Toybox Labs is an Oakland-based company that is developing the perfect product for creative kids: a lightweight 3D printer that requires no setup. Toybox allows children to use an Android app to select their favorite toy design and then bring it to life on their brand-new Toybox 3D printer. Toybox also lets kids design their own toys, making for endless possibilities. Most importantly, the finished toys are biodegradable and non-toxic, ensuring safety for even small children.
ASLAN
Belgian tech company ASLAN is working on a robotic arm that will give sign language users all over the world access to an interpreter that does not tire or make mistakes. Inspired by the lack of interpreters at their local university, three Belgian graduate students decided to turn to 3D printing to make the arm’s main components. They are currently working on a double-armed version with a face and hope to eventually release the entire design under an open-source license.
The innovative minds of today’s new tech generation have given us fabulous futuristic phones, space-age language gadgets and advanced toys. With revolutionary gadgets like these in development, the sky is the limit for modern tech design.
