Imagine waking up to a new day. A smart alarm clock nudges you awake at the optimal time, as you check your smartwatch to see how the quality of your sleep was. As you ready yourself for work, the virtual assistant on your smart speaker reads you the news, and weather and traffic conditions as you brush your teeth.
Freshly brewed coffee from the automated coffee machine awaits you as you grab a cup before work. Just as you are about to head out of the door, a drone from the logistics company drops off a package just in time. You are scheduled to reach the office at 9am and you get some work done on the commute, thanks to your self-driving car.
All this sounds like science fiction, but the foundation for this scenario to happen is here today. Here are some tech trends from 2018 that are making the above a reality.
3D PRINTERS
3D printing technology has been around for years, having starting out small in the hands of hobbyists. The technology has since advanced with commercialised and specialised 3D printers that are suited for construction and even the medical field. Entire buildings can now be 3D printed, making affordable housing a reality for the homeless and providing shelter for victims of natural disasters. This is likely to shake up the construction industry as buildings no longer need to be constrained by the cost of hiring many labourers or take months to build.
Doctors are also able to harness 3D printing technology to plan for complex surgeries, create customised prosthetic limbs for amputees and could even, one day, print organic human tissue to replace damaged organs.
