Innovations that will change our lives

IBM released its annual “Next Five in Five” predictions, visions that sketch out future. These predictions talk about how the technology will shape our lives in the future.



The current set talks about a future where driving will be a relative pleasure, eco-friendly devices will save money and ‘super’ doctors will use advanced technology to probe our body's innermost depths in search of disease.



Here's further into the five innovations that will change how people around the world will work, play and live their next five years.



Internet goes 3D


The popular online immersive destinations, such as Second Life, will evolve into a 3D Internet, much like the early work by AOL and Prodigy evolved into the World Wide Web.



The 3D Internet will enable new kinds of interactive education, remote medicine and consumer experiences, transforming how we interact with our friends and family, teachers, doctors and more.



Imagine being able to virtually walk the aisles of your favorite stores, interact with experts and even virtually try on clothes, all in the convenience of your own home.



Kids will be able to experience things that they could never access through traditional means. For example, they will be able to walk through rain forests or visit ancient Rome.



Working with a broad community, and leveraging decades of experience in supercomputing, visualisation and work with the three major game platforms (Microsoft's Xbox 360, Nintendo's Wii and Sony's PlayStation 3), IBM hopes to help build out this next-generation Internet, one that is open, immersive and 3D.



Mind-reading phones


“Presence” technology allows you to be found on the network, whether it's a computer network, mobile phone network or any other kind.



Presence technology in its current form amounts to instant messaging applications. In five years, however, mobile devices will have the ability to continually learn about and adapt to your preferences and needs.



Several telecommunication groups are testing technology to allow mobile devices and networks to learn about users' whereabouts and preferences as they commute, work and travel.



These systems works with a variety of wireless networks including GSM, GPS, RFID and WiFi. It relies on sensors like GPS, processing software to filter information, an intuitive interface and it uses important events to adapt to the user's preferences.



Real-time speech translation


The movement towards globalisation needs to take into account basic human factors, such as differences in language.



Real-time translation technologies will be embedded into mobile phones, handheld devices and cars. These services will pervade every part of society, eliminating the language barrier in our new smaller and faster-paced world.



Several technologies already allow travellers using PDAs to translate menus in Japanese and doctors to communicate with patients in Spanish.



Environment goes nano


With the ubiquity of IP-based technology today, it is possible to envision a technologically enabled “smart” water distribution system that helps manage end-to-end distribution, from reservoirs to pumping stations to smart pipes to holding tanks to intelligent metering at the user's site so that consumption could be managed in a responsible way.



The water distribution system would serve as a grid, much like a utility grid, at multiple levels: federal/central, regional, city/town and even down to a single residence or commercial establishment.



The current methods of desalinating water, reverse osmosis and distillation, are both expensive and high maintenance. Scientist will research methods of filtering water at the molecular level, using carbon nanotubes or molecular configurations, which can potentially remove the salt and impurities with less energy and money per gallon.



Political instability, the high cost of fossil fuels and worries about global warming have increased interest in alternative energies. Technology developments in this area will help further advance solar power and make it more efficient.



Healthcare by remote


Wireless innovations coupled with the ability to securely capture-sensitive medical data have the potential to allow healthcare to move from the traditional doctor's office to wherever the patient happens to be.



Remote healthcare is increasingly becoming important. A significant percentage of developing world populations has virtually no access to meaningful healthcare, largely because of poor infrastructure, especially lack of transportation.



In the future, technology will enable millions of people with chronic diseases, such as diabetes, to have their conditions monitored as they go about their daily lives, through sensors in the home, worn on the person or in devices and packaging.



A pill dispenser, with embedded technologies, will help patients track compliance with their drug regimen and automatically transmit the data to caregivers. Virtual doctor check-ups will add convenience, a sense of independence and security for the elderly and chronically ill.



It will be possible to take blood pressure or pulse reading on a remote device and the results sent directly to a care provider's mobile phone who can then follow up as needed.