Emerging Technologies - Essay Example

SUMMARY Technology has always been evolving over the past century and has come to be associated with sophistication and complexity since the past couple of decades. Ever since computers have started to occupy a common place in our everyday lives, technology in the information domain has been on the verge of constant & rapid change so much so that the IT industry continues to churn out new innovations with each passing day. As such, there are a number of emerging technologies that are likely to occupy a pivotal role in the year 2008, when they are expected to start playing their intended roles. Each of such potential & promising technologies is discussed below. The era of globalization has resulted in the mass movement of people from all parts of the world be it for purposes of work or for tourism. Coupled with this, the emergence of mobile & cellular technologies and their increasing influence on our everyday lives has paved the way for innovators to ensure that IT technologies are utilized to bring information on every possible space on the globe at the hands of the traveler. This essentially means that the user of a mobile device will be able to access information in the form of maps and GPS navigation, a prototype of which is currently in the enhancement stage after its prototype was unveiled this year in the name of MARA (Mobile Augmented Real Applications) by the Nokia research center in Helsinki, Finland. The good thing about this innovation is that it is totally software based and goes to great lengths at providing information that a user might require about a particular destination, which is always updated by the service provider (Technology review, augmented reality, 2007). The second major technology that is expected to play a major influential role in the coming year is pertaining to the domain of peer-to-peer networks. This is due to the fact that technologies such as youtube and torrents have resulted in an explosion in the internet traffic on a global basis, which is likely to clog the internet pipelines, if the present trend is allowed to continue. Given the situation, industry experts have turned to P2P technologies, which are notoriously popular for unauthorized sharing of copyrighted digital content. The fact that connections are always dynamic on the lines of an ever-shifting mesh, make sure that the network & servers are never clogged and are always utilized in the most optimal manner. Though this may sound like an existing technology, much is being done in order to make sure that P2P technology is adopted for providing genuine and popular services across the internet (Technology review, peering into video's future, 2007). In tune with computer logic, computer chips are hard coded to perform specific operations even today. This essentially means that the computers are capable of performing only in the way they have been configured. However, using a new technology knows as chaotic chips, researchers at the University of Florida hope to attempt a unique approach under which computer chips will be able to perform any function on the fly by changing their internal configurations in a dynamic manner. This technology is likely to impact our lives in many respects both economically and performance wise as such chips would help reduce costs and enhance performance. The science of Human computer interaction continues to be an area of constant research, where effort is made to ensure that the degree of interaction between the user and the computer interface can be made as intricate and lively as possible. The IT industry understands the need for a change in the way present interfaces work and operate and efforts are being made to modify it in a big way. In this regard, one major change that is being targeted pertains to the way in which we see and operate these interfaces. Such a change is being initiated by way of which a user may be able to use a 3-dimensional interface from the conventional 2-dimensional one. The new release of the windows operating system (Windows vista) in 2007 has already gone a step ahead in that direction by introducing the Flip 3D option, wherein users are able to flip through all open windows in a 3 dimensional fashion (Microsoft, 2007). But other industry giants such as Sun Microsystems have gone much ahead and demonstrated the potential capabilities of the 3D desktop system. By way of a project titled 'Looking Glass', the software giant aims to provide a unique experience to the user and change the way we perceive our desktop systems. Once the first release is made available in 2008, users will be able to turn and twist individual windows in any way they desire, flip audio and video files in the form of a disc changer, write notes at the back of web pages, and dock pages on top of one another. The introduction of Vista (which has the minimal 3D features) has created ripples in the software market and users have relished the flip feature. As such, the provision of many other 3 dimensional features by Sun and other companies in the coming year are expected to revolutionize the IT domain in an unimaginable way that has never been dreamt of ever before (Sun, 2007). REPORT There are numerous fronts in science & technology that are witnessing major changes and innovations that are revolutionizing the way in which we see and use them. one such important field happens to be the domain of electronics, which continues to play a very important role so much so that no aspect of our everyday life is devoid of it. however electronics, chips and transistors to be specific, have their own inherent deficiencies that contains their use in specific situations. For example, on account of being fragile, electronic chips cannot be used in places where there are huge stresses and strains. Likewise, protecting such devices from wet contact is a must if they are to work properly. Electronic circuits can neither be used in contact with the human body (mostly as they result in electric shocks) nor can they be put at all places (BoingBoing, 2006). It was in the backdrop of all these inherent constraints associated with electronic chips that a team of researchers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, USA developed an emerging technology that has been known popularly as 'Stretchable Silicon'. Firstly, as the name implies, the new technology overcomes the earlier defect of conventional silicon based chips with regards to them being brittle in nature by being elastic in nature. Secondly, electronic circuits developed out of such stretchable silicon consume very less power, which makes it an ideal candidate for bringing into contact with the human body for specific purposes such as tracking life signs, sensors, etc. the stretchable and flexible texture of the new technology further paves the way for allowing such circuits to be developed that will allow themselves to be set up at sharp bends and curves (in the form of sensors etc.) in places such as aircrafts, factories etc. finally, it has been attributed by researchers that the cost of producing such stretchable silicon is very low and the process is fairly simple. All this makes 'Stretchable Silicon' an ideal emerging technology for the coming year. The first and the foremost domain that is most likely to benefit as a result of this technology is medicine and surgery. The availability of stretchable silicon will thereafter enable sensors to be placed directly into the gloves of the surgeon, as a result of which constant and closer monitoring of the patient's vital signs such as blood pressure, sugar levels etc. will be possible. The presence of such sensors can be configured to notify the surgeon immediately through requisite means whenever there is a need to alert regarding the status of a patient (PCMag, 2007). In the coming 5-10 years, this technology can also be used to develop and place sensors at critical places in some machines & equipment where it was earlier not possible to monitor the necessary parameters. For example, sensors employing the stretchable silicon technology could be placed at sharp bends on an aircraft's wing (right on the surface), which would provide for monitoring the status of the wind speed at critical points on the aircraft. Likewise, it has also been attributed that stretchable silicon may also be embedded into our clothing that may provide for a variety of purposes. For example, devices made out of such technology and directly embedded into an individual's clothing may work a long way by notifying health authorities in instances where a patient falls sick in the middle of the road. Such a speedy action may eventually work towards saving countless lives. The fact that the major element involved in making electronic circuits silicon, which is stretchable, eliminates any kind of discomfort that may arise out of using them in our clothing. However, a major constraint that hampers further development of the technology lies in the fact that current technology allows for silicon to be stretched and folded in a single direction. As such, effort needs to be put in to ensure that devices made out of stretchable silicon in the coming years may be even more flexible and may even fold up just like a T-Shirt (Technology review, 2007). The technology of stretchable silicon is just a couple of years old and as such, it is often regarded to be in a state of infancy, which means that a lot remains to be achieved with this domain in the years to come. Present technology allows silicon to be stretched only on other elastic materials such as rubber and the degree of elasticity is something that needs to be looked upon as part of future development. It is also important worth mentioning that current devices built out of stretchable silicon comprise a few transistors and diodes, which make up as the basic components of electronic chips and devices. As such, considerable effort needs to be put in towards ensuring that the technology of stretchable silicon is scaled up in the coming years, thereby enabling the construction and development of whole circuits based on stretchable silicon. Effort is also on in making silicon more stretchable than present degrees of elasticity (Technology review, 2007). The new technology is expected to influence a number of industrial sectors in major ways in the years to come. Firstly, the presence of stretchability will allow electronic corporations to build slimmer and more powerful electronic appliances, many of which will have the look and feel of paper. Thus, it wont be surprising in the coming decade if one came across an audio player that was as thin as a piece of paper. Secondly, the weight of electronic parts will come down sharply, making them ideal for electronic signboards, which play a pivotal role in today's businesses. In fact, stretchable silicon will allow for the creation of billboards of various shapes that will replace the conventional flat displays of today. SWOT ANALYSIS The following paragraphs depict the SWOT analysis as applied to the area of innovation called as 'Stretchable silicon'. Strengths The new technology is non-brittle. It is resistant to wet conditions as it is built upon rubber substrates. It can be stretched and twisted, which makes it suitable for use in areas of physical movement and compression. It consumes very less power. It can be used to construct very large circuits occupying minimal area. Weaknesses The stretching presently depends on a rubber foundation, which may not work well and make the silicon above dependent on the rubber substrate. The uneven and often elastic nature of the rubber substrate may eventually rupture the thin strands of brittle silicon placed on it. Opportunities With the immense possibility of reduction is size and weight, industry is all set for a major revolution. This technology will immensely change the way we use electronic devices. The technology can be used to provide informative feedback for critical processes. The technology may gradually be made to encompass numerous disciplines of industry and may well replace the conventional hard and bulky electronic circuits. Threats 1. Not much information has been publicized on the technology and as such the public awareness regarding the technology is yet to gain momentum. As such, in the result of poor publicity, the technology faces a threat of being unable to generate interest within the general public, which is so very used to conventional electronic systems. 2. If improvement of the present constraint concerned with the unidirectional stretchability of the silicon strands is not resolved (made multi dimensional), the technology may face the danger of extinction. 3. There is also the threat of the technology facing stiff resistance from industry giants who may be opposed to the implementation of the technology. REFERENCES 1. BoingBoing (2006), Stretchable Silicon. Found at: http://www.boingboing.net/2005/12/15/stretchable_silicon.html 2. PCMag (2007), Stretchable Silicon. Found at: http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,1895,1988185,00.asp 3. PCMag (2007), Chaos computing. Found at: http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,1895,1988186,00.asp 4. Sun (2007), Project Looking Glass. Found at: http://lg3d.dev.java.net 5. Microsoft (2007), Microsoft Windows Vista. 6. Technology review (2007), augmented world. Found at: http://www.technologyreview.com/read_article.aspxch=specialsections&sc=emerging&id=18291 7. Technology review (2007), peering into video's future. Found at: http://www.technologyreview.com/read_article.aspxch=specialsections&sc=emerging&id=18284 8. Technology review (2007), Stretchable Silicon. Found at: http://www.technologyreview.com/read_article.aspxch=specialsections&sc=emerging&id=16477 Read More