While watching the movie “Cars,” my youngest son asked, “Mom, can cars really drive by themselves?”
My initial answer, which was quick and without much thought, was “Cars don’t drive. That’s a movie and isn’t real.” After further thought, I told him that movies have been a roadmap for the future. For example, the GPS system and AT&T Navigator application on my cell phone tells me where to go and what turns to make to get to a preselected destination. Looking ahead, the next generation of navigational systems will likely tell the car what to do and drive it with little or no human engagement. I know we probably have this capability already in a lab environment, but not on the mass market.
The point I was trying to make to him is that maybe things on TV aren’t real now, but the evolution of technology in movies can be a depiction of how technology will be used in the future.
I want my kids to think outside the box and not limit themselves only to what they can see or touch. They need to know that technology can be molded and shaped as far as the mind can dream. That’s the world we live in today.
De Gaul says:
August 30, 2009 at 10:04 am
“Imagine being on a hike in somewhere in the Rocky Mountains and being able to point your phone at a peak and automatically getting the name of the mountain, its height, climbing difficulty, maps with trails that lead to the summit, and pictures and video posted by people who hiked along the same trail. Parts of that scenario are already a reality with certain applications available for free on my phone. I can’t even imagine what you will be able to do in another 5 to 10 years”
Assessing the future of the GPS technology
by Henry Case.
http://www.helium.com/items/1467427-what-is-the-future-of-gps-technology