March to the future: 10 exciting innovations of 2024

Innovations drive the world to an exciting future full of new possibilities. They are the result of humankind’s unceasing quest for improvements to make lives better. From the invention of the wheel to the mindboggling power of quantum computing, technological marvels have changed the world.

Here’s a look at ten exciting innovations that could change the world tomorrow. Some of them are from the World Economic Forum’s Flagship Report on 10 Emerging Technologies of 2024. But there’s more.

1. AI in scientific discoveries

Artificial Intelligence has become a gamechanger. While tools like ChatGPT have made content creation easier, their impact on scientific research has been far-reaching. Significant developments in deep learning and generative AI have helped pave the way for groundbreaking medical discoveries and cracking the mysteries of the human body and mind. AI’s high rates of discovery and prediction will make healthcare better. Exciting times ahead.

2. Reconfigurable Intelligent Surfaces (RIS)

RIS technology will revolutionise wireless communication with its ability to enhance signal transmission and reception in a more efficient and flexible manner than traditional systems. Using meta-materials [artificially designed materials with properties not found in natural materials], smart algorithms and AI, it can manipulate electromagnetic waves. RIS can turn walls and other spaces into wireless communication components, improving networks’ energy efficiency. Its enhanced capacity, efficient connectivity and environmental sustainability make RIS an appealing choice for the future, the WEF report says.

3. Privacy-Enhancing Technologies

The emergence of synthetic data, generated using algorithms rather than by real-world events, has helped protect privacy while enabling safer global collaboration. The data, which do not contain specific information that could be linked to individuals, organisations, or governments, opens new possibilities for global data sharing as it helps circumvent many restrictions while working with sensitive data. This is particularly useful in health-related studies and training AI models, among others. Some hurdles remain, but more work should ease the worries.

4. Flying cars

Electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) vehicles are a reality. It’s just that they haven’t received regulatory approvals to operate flying taxis, which could drastically alter the urban transit landscape. Run on lithium batteries with no operating emissions and maintaining low noise levels, the first air taxis will take off from Dubai in 2026 as work on the vertiports has begun.

5. Genomics for transplants

Organ transplants save lives, but the available donor pools are grossly inadequate to cater to the millions of people on the transplant waiting list. Here’s where advances in the genetic engineering of organs offer hope. New CRISPR-based treatments for curing sickle-cell disease marked a significant milestone in genetic medicine. The ability to understand and precisely edit the genome, coupled with novel immunosuppressive drug regimens, has enabled the survival of nonhuman primates with life-supporting [animal] kidneys or hearts for periods now extending months or even years, a WEF report said.

6. Super-efficient solar panels

Next-generation solar panels using perovskite crystals promise 30% more efficiency at a lower cost. Perovskites (a calcium titanium oxide mineral) absorb different wavelengths of light, unlike the legacy silicon cells. When silicon and perovskites work together in tandem solar cells, they capture more of the solar spectrum, producing more electricity per cell. Perovskite is in its early development stages and could be ready for large-scale installations within a decade.

7. Carbon capture microbes

Synthetic biology is critical here. Like gene editing, synthetic biology involves altering an organism’s genetic code, giving it new abilities. Carbon-capturing microbes, including bacteria and microalgae, are engineered to use sunlight or sustainable chemical energy to convert greenhouse gases into products like biofuels and fertilisers, helping significantly in the fight against climate change. The technology still faces challenges, but with more work, it could play a vital role in tackling global warming.

8. Exascale computers

Exascale computers are the new frontier in computing. The world’s fastest supercomputers are capable of performing exaflop-scale calculations (An exaflop is 1 followed by 18 zeroes), providing practical applications in climate, nuclear fission, turbulence, precision medicine, materials science, nuclear physics, national security and more. Exascale computing promises to drive discoveries across scientific fields to improve our understanding of the world and how we live. With this computing, we are beginning to discover solutions to intractable problems.

9. Over-the-Air charging

Mobile gadgets require charging: the headset in your ears, the watch on your wrist and the phone in your hand. What if these gadgets charge without contact with a charging device? No cables. That’s what Over-the-Air (OTA) charging does, and it’s no longer a concept. These charging devices can deliver small amounts of power at a distance from inches to three feet and also charge devices at odd angles. Devices with small batteries can charge for up to 30 minutes or an hour. This could be a reality soon.

10. Brain-computer Interface (BCI) technologies

Neuralink, Synchron and other companies have been busy developing non-invasive BCIs with applications in healthcare and human augmentation. New devices have also allowed these technologies to operate more precisely and integrate seamlessly with the human brain. That has helped find treatments for neurological disorders and interact with people with disabilities.

These ten are just a sample of the technological marvels representing significant steps towards a more efficient, sustainable, and interconnected world. A brighter tomorrow awaits!