Sci-Fi Turned Real Life: 5 ‘Spooky’ Innovations in Science and Technology

Happy Halloween from all of us at Cisco!

To celebrate, here’s a fun list of the top 5 ‘spookiest’ tech innovations –those inspired by sci-fi, made real life through incredible advances in STEM research and the growing connections in the Internet of Everything:

1. The Bionic Man:  Not quite Steve Austin, Roboticists at Shadow Robot Co. in England have created the world’s first robot human made entirely of prosthetic parts. He can walk, talk, and even has a beating heart and circulatory system. We have the technology…

2. Invisibility Cloak: While Hogwarts might not be accessible to us muggles, scientists at HyperStealth Biotechnology have been working on the best camouflage fabric yet- it makes you invisible. Now if we just had a time-turner for some of those incredibly busy days!

3. Lab-grown organs: You can’t build Frankenstein quite yet, but researchers at London’s Royal Free Hospital have been able to grow functional human organs in the lab, helping out many transplant situations.

4. Robocubes: MIT researchers have created robotic cubes that can self-assemble and reconfigure themselves, all while having no movable parts. Those nightmares of being chased by a robotic cube monster might not be that far off after all…

5. Wearable technology: Technology is being integrated into our clothes, makeup, watches, glasses, and even skin. When connected to the Internet of Everything, they can do amazing things like help with health, fitness, language translation, and tell us more about ourselves than previously thought possible. Find out more in Dave Evan’s latest blog.

As our world continues to advance in awe-inspiring ways, our imagination is proving to be our only limit. The list above is a mere glimpse at the incredible things we are now capable of. What do you think is missing from this list? Let me know in the comments below.

If you are looking for more Halloween inspired reading, be sure to check out Cisco’s Jimmy Ray Purser’s blog The Dark Side of Technology.