In this day and age, you might be mistaken to think that technology has little to offer in terms of new innovations. The reality is technology evolves every time, leading to amazing innovations every year. Just picture this, when the iPhone was first launched in 2007, its technology was seen as a big breakthrough. However, the same iPhone technology that was used back then is outdated today. The last 10 years have seen rapid advancement in technology which has led to the development of high tech devices and systems. From Augmented Reality to self-driving cars, technology have really come of age and there are no signs of it stopping any time soon. You might be asking yourself what are the best inventions of this decade? Here are 6 fun inventions of the last 10 years that you should know.
1. Google glass
Tech giant Google launched its wearable computing device Google Glass in 2014. This was their very first augmented reality project which allows users to take pictures, shoot videos, and broadcast what they see in the world. These futuristic and innovative glasses provide AR for users as they are visually connected to the Android’s heads up display, which allows them to view Google’s cloud features like Gmail, calendar, maps, and more. This was definitely one of the more interesting inventions of the 2000s.
2. Self driving cars
Toyota launched its first self-driving car, Toyota Prius, a decade ago. This commercial hybrid car does not have a steering wheel, accelerator or brake pedal. The benefits of self-driving cars are well documented. First, it will increase safety by reducing the risk of road traffic accidents as it replaces human drivers who are responsible for 90 percent of the total road traffic accidents. Second driverless cars will reduce carbon emission as they are powered by an electric motor.
3. Hoverboards
When Shane Chen invented the hoverboard, it was seen as a great invention. The first hoverboard prototype which was dubbed as ‘The Purple Board’ did not succeed because the wheels were centrally located. Mr. Chen corrected this problem by moving the wheels to the outside. This change made it possible to ride the first commercially available hoverboard, Hovertrax, with both your feet together and apart. If you are looking to buy a hoverboard, why not choose a green one. The reason green hoverboards are popular these days is because they easily blend with nature and cannot be found anywhere else. Thanks to the improvement in technology, we now have hoverboards which hover two inches above the ground.
4. Smart watches
Before we had smartphones and now we have smartwatches thanks to the advancement in technology. Traditional watches could only show the time and date. Smartwatches allow users to receive calls and message instantly. If you are on social media, you can use your smartwatch to receive notifications from Facebook, Twitter, Whatsapp, and Snapchat. In addition, you can use this fun invention as a fitness tracker to stay physically fit as it helps you count calories, pulse rate, distance, steps, sleep, and heart rate. Thanks to their long lasting batteries, smartwatches will ensure you remain connected for the longest time possible.
5. Agricultural drones
As technology continues to improve the imaging of the crops becomes very vital. We now have agricultural drones, which help farmers see their crops from the sky. The benefit of this bird’s eye view is that it can reveal issues such as fungal and pest infestation, soil variation, and irrigation problems. Multispectral images show the visual spectrum view and near-infrared view. This combination can help a farmer knows, if their plants are healthy or unhealthy, which is not possible via the naked eye. The reason agricultural drones have enjoyed success in enhancing crop yields and farm efficiency is due to advancements in digital radios, small MEMS sensors, and GPS modules.
6. Touch screens
Back in the day we only had buttoned cell phones and computers. Today, we have touch screen devices like smartphones and tablets which have taken the computing world by storm. When touch screens first came out, only the tech-savvy could operate them. Now both the elderly and kids can operate a touch screen device without any problem. This revolution has made it possible for Microsoft to rework its Windows software so that it could be used with touch screens.
Technology is always changing which means that new inventions are created every now and then. Agricultural drones might be trending today, but you never know what could happen in the future. Perhaps a new invention might make this piece of technology obsolete. For now, we can only wait and see the new inventions that will be created in the next decade.