A recent article in The Age by Michael Dwyer discussed technological innovations which are just around the corner. One of these is the PAL-V, a personal air and land vehicle, an enclosed three-wheel motorcycle with fold-away rotor and propeller which, when deployed, cause the vehicle to function as a gyrocopter. The “environmentally certified” engine enables speeds up to 200 km/h both on land and in the air.
Another innovation considered in a recent US National Security Space Office report is Space-Based Solar Power. The idea involves placement of very large solar arrays into continuously sunlit Earth orbit to collect electrical energy and beam it back to Earth. This idea has been around for over 30 years, but previous studies have concluded that the technology is too expensive relative to other energy sources. The latest report argues that the cost may be justifiable on national security grounds.
Another innovation is video eyeglasses, which look similar to normal sunglasses but act as digital displays, enabling the wearer to see the real world through the glasses while at the same time seeing an overlaid computer display. The glasses essentially enable you to live in two worlds at the same time, if your brain can multitask quickly enough.