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VISHNU ERA 12

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18<br />

ON THE HORIZON<br />

A QUARTERLY NEWS PUBLICATION FROM SRI <strong>VISHNU</strong> EDUCATIONAL SOCIETY<br />

Futur<br />

Compiled by<br />

Technolo<br />

Simpi Kumari<br />

4 ECE, BVRIT<br />

Technology never<br />

stands still: it's always<br />

changing, adapting and<br />

progressing, and often<br />

times things that<br />

seemed improbable (or<br />

even impossible) one<br />

year can quickly start<br />

becoming possible only<br />

a few short years later.<br />

Wearable computers<br />

seemed like a fanciful<br />

idea only recently, but<br />

now they're pretty much<br />

the next big thing to go<br />

mainstream. The<br />

emergence of the<br />

Oculus Rift could<br />

probably catapult virtual<br />

and augmented reality<br />

into literal reality.<br />

With this in mind,<br />

here's a list of 10<br />

interesting futuristic<br />

technologies that we'll<br />

most probably be seeing<br />

in the near future.<br />

Although these are<br />

mostly still in the very<br />

early stages, they're at<br />

something of a middle<br />

ground. While you won't<br />

see these readily<br />

available everywhere<br />

yet, but at least we now<br />

know that in due time,<br />

they will become actual<br />

products we can see,<br />

touch and utilize.<br />

Without further ado,<br />

here's the list.<br />

1<br />

TALOS<br />

Jet Pack<br />

International<br />

H202<br />

Jet Pack International is making great<br />

strides in jetpack technology H202 and<br />

H202-Z jetpacks. As the name suggests,<br />

both the H202 and H202-Z are hydrogen<br />

peroxide-fuelled jetpacks that will allow<br />

users to fly at up to 77 miles per hour at a<br />

maximum height of 250 feet. So far thought,<br />

the higher-capacity H202-Z is only capable<br />

of a maximum flight length of 33 seconds<br />

and a maximum travel distance of 3,300<br />

feet.<br />

The Jet Pack International H202 and H202-Z<br />

are actually currently available, albeit not<br />

commercially: you can assemble the jetpack<br />

yourself, if you have$100,000 lying around.<br />

2 Aero-X<br />

Aerofex<br />

5<br />

If you're a Star Wars fan, the Aerofex Aero-<br />

X, a real-life equivalent of the Star Wars<br />

speeder bike, is definitely something you'll<br />

want to keep your eyes on. The Aero-X is the<br />

result of more than 15 years of research and<br />

development. Powered by a water-cooled<br />

240 horsepower engine and two large<br />

rotors, the Aero-Xcan hover at an altitude of<br />

<strong>12</strong> feet and at speeds of up to 45 miles per<br />

hour power. It can also carry up to 310<br />

pounds. Think of the potential. Also, as a<br />

result of this extended research and<br />

development period, Aerofex claims to have<br />

overcome the dangerous coupling effect<br />

that can arise due to using two rotors,<br />

ensuring that the Aero-X will be safe and<br />

easy to control.<br />

3 a Prosthetics Sense of Touch<br />

with<br />

6<br />

In March 2013, Denis Aabo Sorensen had the privilege<br />

of testing a new type of prosthetic hand, created by a<br />

group of European engineers and scientists. Unlike<br />

conventional prosthetics, the new prosthetic hand<br />

connects directly to the remaining nerves in Denis'<br />

upper arm. This means that the "hand" has a sense of<br />

touch and is actually controllable. Blindfolded tests<br />

showed that Denis was indeed able to differentiate<br />

between different items such as a bottle, a baseball<br />

and a mandarin orange. It also could exert different<br />

levels of pressure, allowing Denis to touch, hold or<br />

grab something.<br />

While this prosthetic hand is indeed a great leap<br />

forward, it's still far from ready for widespread use:<br />

the arm required electrodes to be implanted directly<br />

into Sorensen, and tests still need to be carried out to<br />

determine the durability of these electrodes.<br />

4<br />

TALOS<br />

"Iron Ma<br />

stands for Tactical Assault Light O<br />

Army hopes will become a reality within t<br />

ballistic, shock and fire protection for Spe<br />

The aim is to provide these soldiers with<br />

protection than what currently exists. The<br />

a collaborative effort between univ<br />

corporations.<br />

While there is yet to be a working proto<br />

rapid pace. The head of the US Special<br />

McRaven is confident that unpowered pr<br />

also the goal of testing a complete workin<br />

Titan Ar<br />

Super<br />

Maglev

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