The advancement of technology grows leaps and bounds with every passing year, and 2019 is no different. With major developments with drones, artificial intelligence becoming part of our everyday lives and the increase of smart technologies, it’s quite an age we live in. Here are a few things to keep an eye on in the coming year.
Drones
With drone technology becoming more advanced, more commercial applications are being identified for them. In 2019, the expectation for advancements in drone technology and capabilities should continue. Not only will they be more user-friendly but should also be more reliable by incorporating 360-degree sensors for obstacle avoidance. That technology exists today but isn’t available on all of them.
I think we will see more drones with the capability for safer autonomous flight. Emergency services are starting to adopt this new technology, so don’t be surprised if you hear or see them being used more in search and rescue operations. The agriculture industry has arguably been one of the driving forces behind drone technology and their use will continue in many ways across the farming community.
AI/machine learning
Artificial intelligence (AI) has been creeping into many conversations over the past few years. Some believe that eventually all jobs will be replaced by robots. While there may be some validity to these ideas, I think we are a long way from that.
With today’s super computers and quantum computing capabilities, AI and machine learning are taking off. In the past few years, AI has defeated top human players in video games such as Go and StarCraft II. There are even vehicles on the road, such as a Tesla, that can intelligently avoid obstacles and keep the car in the proper lane without any steering wheel input.
I believe the biggest impact on our everyday lives regarding machine learning will be in predictive technology. You may be familiar with this technology from the suggestions that Netflix offers, based on your viewing history, or product suggestions that fill the screen when browsing Amazon. This technology will continue to get better. Amazon would like to ship you the item you need before you ever knew you wanted it.
Internet of things
The internet of things (IoT) epidemic is here to stay. It was predicted five years ago there would be an explosion of internet-connected devices. This trend has rocketed with no end in sight. Coffee makers, washing machines, water heaters, doorbells and more probably has a version that can be connected to the internet. This brings challenges as well as benefits.
Cyber security on these devices has traditionally been non-existent or severely lacking. We will continue to see more devices accessible via the internet, connecting our physical world to our digital identity. With the cost of computing chips and materials falling, wireless connectivity and availability growing, and the drive from consumers to have all their devices talk to each other, it’s inevitable we will see more developers taking advantage of this new world of connected devices.
I believe it is still very much in the infancy stages. There are many devices that can be connected, but they don’t always play well together. If you have started to implement “smart” technologies in your home, you probably have figured this out. Once we have a standard that prevails, the interoperability between devices will unlock new potentials.
