The rate of technological development is faster than has been seen before. If you blink you just about miss the latest disruptive technology and best trends.
There is always more to be designed and deployed in the world we know today, with businesses and countries striving to be the best. We’ve seen the beginning of artificial intelligence (AI) and the internet of things (IoT) but 2018 is set to create a storm of disruptive technologies for the industry and CBR has named just a few.
Autonomous Vehicles
After years of research and development, 2018 is expected to be the year autonomous vehicles fully take to the roads. Tech giants have been racing to the finish line to be the first and best in the autonomous vehicle business and this year will reveal who will be the first to the punch.
The rise in autonomous vehicles is not only expected in day to day vehicles, but taxis and lorries, which are all being trialled, are also expected to be hitting the roads.. Despite safety concerns, the technology has continued to be developed and is expected to take the world by storm. Autonomous technology has been in use for many years with the DLR train line, and with some military vehicles, so there is no doubt the technology could succeed and 2018 will be the year we see it happen.
Immersive Experience
First, virtual reality (VR) came about and took the tech industry into another world. VR headsets enabled individuals to transport themselves to another scenario, whether it be envisioning a new office design or cycling down the streets of Paris from the gym floor. Now, that reality has been pushed further. Augmented Reality (AR) is the trend for 2018.
One of the first snippets of AR technology was the famous dancing hotdog. From there developments continued, allowing businesses to use AR through devices such as Microsoft’s HoloLens. AR is set to take over as the demand increases more every day.
Businesses are not the only ones to benefit; individuals can also reap benefits of the technology offers. Just recently a 14 year old school boy, Baran Korkmaz, designed and developed an AR app in light of the Grenfell tragedy. Kormaz’s safety app directs users out of the building, following the path mapped to the individual location. Apps like this can be the difference between life and death, so the benefits are unquestionable.
Blockchain
Organisations across the globe are experimenting with blockchain technology. Aiming to build trust networks, by improving the transparency of transactions and reduce costs Blockchain has changed the way businesses operate. The most well-known use of Blockchain has been its financial uses with cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin.
A benefit of Blockchain is no individual or company owns or controls the Bitcoin. It allows businesses to expand industrial applications as well as develop innovative solutions for energy, trade, healthcare and more through one platform. Blockchain has a safety aspect like no other, leaving all transactions track able and inerasable. Therefore levels of data security are much higher, proving trustworthy and necessary for businesses to use.
Year of the Bots
2017 saw the rise of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and robots across many industries such as healthcare, education and banking. The use of AI and robotics has inevitably changed the way we live, work and thrive in the world. As ever, it is not enough and the tech industry always wants more. Outdoing themselves, technology companies have turned to Chat Bots and virtual assistants to make a mark in the world in 2018.
From banking chat bots to care homes, devices such as Amazon Echo and Google Home have taken over the industry. Banks such as NatWest has started to use chat bots to communicate with customers rather than operating so many phone desks. West Yorkshire Police was the first force to roll out the technology, using Amazon Alexa to provide information to residents who are less able, as well as those that are well able and would like information about their town. The force also uses the technology to help prevent crime.
At the Edge
Cloud computing took the world by storm, making life inevitably easier than it has been before. Organisations are able to store, manage and transfer data much more easily than they could do with one hefty database. Edge computing is next in the spotlight, with more and more businesses taking the approach to create a more efficient service.
Similarly to cloud computing, edge computing stores all the data in one place but simply pushes it to the edge of the device rather than into the cloud. This can help make quicker decisions and allows for better vehicle to vehicle or vehicle to infrastructure communication, filtering out what is important in real-time. In comparison to cloud computing, this method makes it much easier to carry out real-time analogy, actions and increases efficiency of devices such as autonomous vehicles.
