Tech Trends 2017

 With 2017 on the horizon, we look forward to breakthrough technology trends that will create value and transform opportunities for growth and enable organizations to provide more meaningful experiences to society.

  Meaningful growth requires more than good ideas.

LOCODOR looks ahead at the Tech trends that will impact 2017.

Here is what we learned from this year's CES Tech Trade show and what everyone is talking about;

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The Rise Of Soft Robotics

This is our personal favorite

Robots today are hard, made of metal, and tend to operate in a deliberate and sharp manner. As humanity begins to encounter robots in our everyday lives, we will need our robots to interact with us in a human way, with a human touch.

Over the next few years, we will begin to see robots soften, using materials that closely resemble the human body. A movement is already underway to leverage soft robotics in products such as the SoftRobotics Gripper. Taking this a step further, some R&D departments are experimenting with electro active polymers, such as a dielectric elastomer, that change shapes when a current is applied. We will see applications of this in multiple industries. For example, we will want our vehicles to be equipped with soft robotics to support us and help us perform functions in transportation; in the work place, soft robotics can enhance our strength and precision for creative and thoughtful actions where human empathy, emotion, and life experiences are important to the outcome; in medicine, soft robotics may not only help us treat patients, but may also find a home inside the body as well.

The soft robotics revolution will be gradual but vast. As robots and robotics become increasingly pliable, they will fold into our everyday lives in interesting and vital ways.

Business Bots Will Thrive

Internet Bots, software that runs automated tasks, will move beyond simple chat applications like customer service and scheduling support, to impact business in more profound ways. As intelligent systems and automation further develop to serve the purpose of critical business functions, the business bot will coordinate services and launch businesses that we’ll experience in the near future. Imagine an entrepreneur whose mentor has recommended they start a new venture, selling vintage electric skateboards to the aging hipster market. The entrepreneur will commission an assortment of business bots to bring their vision to reality. The R&D bot will crowdsource the selection of designs from on-demand freelance designers, the Operations bot will manage contract manufacturers and production schedules, and the Sales and Marketing bot will optimize e-commerce channels and product promotions. As business bots become more intelligent, their ability to perform complex operational tasks and harness digitally enabled platform services will help new entrepreneurs scale their ventures, faster and with precision.  

Manipulating the Brain To Do The Impossible

Virtual reality therapies (VRT) will extend beyond simply distracting the brain from its current context, to creating multi-sensory environments that trick it into driving biological outcomes beyond the reach of medication. Initially, we will see VRT addressing the psychological—treating phobias, addictions, and other mental conditions—but soon we will see it enabling physiological outcomes and aiding in practices such as Neurorehabilitation.

Mindmaze, a pioneer in this space, is already creating virtual environments for stroke patients, causing their brains to re-wire themselves and re-establish mobility in forgotten limbs. As the creation of immersive environments becomes more accessible, we will see more experimentation in this space and continue to discover and unlock what the brain can do. Future patients of cognitive behavioral therapies and systematic desensitization can expect virtual reality to become a critical component of their treatment.

Drones will Transcend for Good

Rwanda is building the world’s first drone airport to provide medicine that can be quickly flown to those who need it. Rather than wait months for roads to be built, drones can quickly provide critical support to people living outside of urban areas. This is an example of a wider movement that is happening globally in developing and developed countries – Drones For Good. Many leading innovators of this movement aren’t just from the government or large foundations; they are individual citizens. With a few thousand dollars, citizens are able to experiment with how this powerful, but affordable, technology can be used for good, like helping to identify illegal poachers or find children trapped under rubble after an earthquake. Drones have made it affordable to do humanitarian work that was only accessible to large institutions with the resources to invest in satellite and helicopter technology. The definition of a drone is “unmanned aircraft”, but behind the unmanned aircraft is a person driving the intention and potential of what the aircraft can do for people in need. And this year we’ll see more folks begin to push this potential.  

VR-On-Demand

As VR’s accessibility grows to a mainstream audience, live entertainment venues and performers will be increasingly displaced by low cost/high engagement entertainment options that people can access from the comfort of their home. As a supplement to the cost of empty seats, or perhaps even profit on top of an already sold-out-show, the entertainment industry will find ways to sell VR tickets to the best seats in their live events in 2017—from watching Beyoncé at Madison Square Garden to seeing the UEFA Champions League—as well as opening up an immersive streaming VR catalog of past performances. One particularly intriguing concept is the idea of VR micro-experiences, which allow users to transport themselves in space and time in order to experience wonderful little moments that refresh their senses. Think of it as a fast and inexpensive vacation for the mind. Content creators will be able to deliver low-cost, high-quality experiences that are traded on an open, social market. For those consumers that lack the VR hardware, the community can provide “VR Stations” in malls, transportation terminals, and open spaces.