With the much-anticipated rollout of 5G and the Internet of Things (IoT), the digital revolution continues to take us into a new dimension of industry, almost like a new Industrial Revolution, with the emphasis on digital technology. Here are just a few of the new tech innovations we will be seeing more of this year.
- Drone Development – In the US, the giant company Amazon is already using fleets of the best tethered drone systems to deliver goods to their customers. A large truck has half a dozen drones inside the roof and the driver stops at a specific place and sends each drone off to the given co-ordinates, while the customer is told to expect an air delivery. Drones are being extensively used in farming and agriculture; checking livestock, inspecting crops and even looking for new grazing pastures, which saves the farmer a lot of time. Although it is unlikely we will see passenger drones in 2021, they are on the way and each unit will be controlled by AI using the Internet of Things and 5G.
- Solar Energy – While solar power is nothing new, we are developing new and innovative ways to use clean and renewable energy; just take a look at the electric fence online that uses solar panels and a lithium battery, which enables the farmer to electrify fencing with no mains electricity. They have small units to electrify your garden fence to keep the dog in, which is a great idea. If you fancy camping for a couple of weeks in the Outback, you can buy solar blankets that you simply roll out on your vehicle roof and connects to a special storage battery. This allows people to really get away from it all and as the tech improves, the panels draw energy even on cloudy days.
- Robots & AI – Cutting-edge robotics merges with artificial intelligence (AI) and that produces amazing results. If you search on YouTube, you will find Japanese robots that look like a female human, while the ‘humanoid’ can have a conversation with you, complete with blinking eyes and slight facial mannerisms. She even has a sense of humour! No one really knows what the military are doing with robots, but you can be sure that something is being developed; robots have gone from trying to balance to doing backflips and running upstairs. While it is still a few years away, you will be able to buy a housekeeper ‘humanoid’ that will wash the dishes, take the trash out and perhaps take the dog for a walk. Click here for an interesting look at technology and where it is leading.
- Bitcoin ATMs – There are already thousands around the world, which enables you to buy or sell Bitcoin, plus you can change the digital currency into dollars. One of the reasons why Bitcoin’s value has soared is that it is also a payment method and more and more people are using Bitcoin to send money.
Other things to look for include touch-screen information boards, digital signage from Cincinnati sign company, digital vending and gaming machines, to name but a few. One thing is for sure, the future is going to be very different with all of this new technology being rolled out.