Internet Wall

The progress in OLED (organic light emitting diode) material in recent years indicates that the following prophecies of Dr. Kaku are likely to be realized in 2030s. 

Computer and Internet on the wall displaying 3-D images (Family gatherings taking place via wall screens)

Flexible and super-thin electronic OLED paper used everywhere, reducing laptops to folding and transparent sheets of paper.

Currently, OLED is already the preferred screen used by high-class portables such as cell phones or other wearable goods. It is also used for big TV screens such as 55 or 65 inches. Of course, they are rather expensive now. It is reasonable to assume that the price of OLED will be one hundredth of the current price in 15 to 20 years. In 2030s, OLED will be used as wall paper which becomes Internet  screens, or used as folding computers put in the pockets like note books.  

Autonomous Car

They say that the cars of the next generation will embody the following two prophecies of Dr. Kaku.

Computer Forecast 14 (~2030): Automatic driving on highways by GPS and Central Computer with no traffic jam.

Energy Forecast 57 (~2030): Cars using electric batteries and hydrogen fuel cells become prevalent.

Autonomous or self-driving cars are already available in the military applications and the test driving of the passenger cars. For example, on May 1, 2012, a 22 km (14 mi) driving test was administered with a Google self-driving car by State of Nevada motor Vehicle examiners in a test route in the city of Las Vegas.   In order to make this technology available for commercial use, the automotive industry must expand their supply chains to the electric and IT industries. Also, the governments must put new regulatory Infra-structures in place. Although these are not easy tasks, they can be certainly accomplished in the next 15 years or so, I believe.

Replacing gasoline inner combustion engines with hydrogen fuel cells will come earlier than self-driving, as it does not require involvements with IT technology and regulatory infra-structures. For example, ToyotaFCHV(Fuel Cell Hybrid Vehicle)s have been made available to a limited commercial use since 2002.  It may launch commercially in the next few years, as some more hydrogen supply stations are put in place.  

It is going to be a very interesting race for three major car manufacturing nations, USA, Japan and Germany. While Japan might be leading the other two in Safety (stability & quality), Germany might be leading in auto electronic parts (Bosch & Continental AG) and USA is definitely a leader in IT (Google & Apple). It is possible that new international alliances across the national borders could be formed among major automotive companies towards the next generation of smart and environmentally friendly autos. I only hope that Japanese auto industry do not repeat the fiasco of Japanese electric industry that have lost momentum in the race of the electric evolution.

The FCHV-adv (Fuel Cell Hybrid Vehicle advanced) was the fifth vehicle built by Toyota Fuel Cell Vehicle Development Program.

The Future of Computer

I love the books by Dr. Kaku, as his scientific projections take me into the future of the 21^st Century and beyond. This time, let me take up his projection about what will become of the computer.

 

Indeed, as he points out, computers are now become ubiquitous. All the goods around us starting from cars to kitchen goods embed some kinds of computers. As far as computers per say are concerned, they are embodied in smart phones today. Especially the young generation is said to be using smart phones exclusively (no computers). Even I had to learn how to use a smart phone at last and practice text inputs with one finger which is very difficult for me to do.

What will happen to the computer in the next 15 years? Dr. Kaku forecasts that computers and Internet will be brought on your glasses and contact lenses by attaching a cylindrical lens to the glass or inserting a chip and LED in the contact lens.  The GoogleGlass could be a forerunner of what we will see coming.

 

Computer Forecast 1 (~2030): Use computers and see Internet on our glasses and contact lenses.