Industries: Manufacturing

Aug
10

The Shape of Things to Come: 3D Printing

(Editor’s note: The following is an excerpt from my forthcoming book, 20/20 Foresight: A Futurist Looks Ahead to the Year 2020, that I am writing with the able assistance of fellow futurist Simon Anderson, host ofwww.futur1st.com. This chapter covers trends in the emerging field of 3D manufacturing.) In a non-descript lab in the mechanical engineering department [...]

Aug
3

A Futurist Foresees 1000-Fold Increase in Robotics

This past spring, I discussed (in the video below) how the field of robotics could grow 1000-fold in the coming decade. In practical terms, I said this meant that certain industries use of robotics would increase “from thousands of robots to millions.” At the time, my prediction was met with skepticism by some in the [...]

Jul
26

Future Scenario: Robotics

(Editor’s note: The following is an excerpt from my forthcoming book, 20/20 Foresight: A Futurist Looks Ahead to the Ten Trends That Will Shape the World of 2020, that I am writing with the able assistance of fellow futurist Simon Anderson, host ofwww.futur1st.com. This chapter covers advances in the field of robotics.) In the spring of [...]

Jul
21

Sensing a Revolution

A diaper that tells a parent when it needs to be changed; slippers that can tell if Grandma needs to visit the doctor; or an implantable antenna that can tell a farmer when “Bessy the cow” is in heat. Such applications are just the beginning of the sensor revolution. By the end of the decade, the [...]