In the digital world, we currently find ourselves in, we are constantly being inundated with brand new versions of the devices and software that are commonplace in today’s society.
Here at Kano, we are always intrigued by the latest and greatest iterations of tech the world has to give. But, we are equally as fascinated by first-of-a-kind emerging technologies that look to make the world a better place. Whilst many of these may initially seem strange or weird upon first impression, we believe it is a testament to their innovation when we describe something as being “like nothing we’ve ever seen before”.
Colourblind glasses
The technology behind colour blind glasses, such as those being developed by EnChroma, is astonishing.
A recent survey found that over 300 million people across the world are said to have at least some form of colour blindness. Which is almost the same as the entire population of the United States! These high-tech spectacles use an ultra-thin filter to cut out overlapping colour wavelengths in a patient’s eye, creating a clear distinction between different colours.
Whilst the glasses aren’t 100% successful for all variants, they have unlocked a whole new world of colour and possibility for millions of people around the world.
Luminous roads
These luminous roads have been popping up across the suburbs of Singapore for the last few years. Whilst clearly beautiful and intriguing, they are actually fit to serve an important purpose.
The roads were initially implemented as part of a safety initiative to help to illuminate pedestrians walking in darkness and to provide greater visibility for drivers.
The illumination is caused by chemical compounds found in the materials used in the roads and they have proved to be hugely popular in Singapore and not just for their beauty, but their purpose. We think these should be across every city in the world.
Warning lights for smartphone addicts
No that is not Darth Vader’s lightsaber on the ground, don’t worry!
These LED strips have been recently laid out by a local Dutch town’s government with an aim to combat traffic incidents being caused by… wait for it… smartphone addicts not looking up when crossing the road.
Whilst some might argue these are merely a short term fix to a long term problem, we admire the ingenuity and simplicity of these interesting safety measures.
Pollution Seabin
Ocean pollution has become a ticking environmental time-bomb in recent years. One recent study estimated that last year, there were over 5.25 trillion tonnes of plastic waste in our waters, carrying devastating effects for the environment and creatures who call it home.
Addressing such a monumental problem is no easy feat with many technological solutions being touted around over the years. One such solution, the SeaBin, has been gaining traction over the last few years.
Simplistic in its design, the SeaBin is pretty much a giant electrical pool skimmer placed into marinas around the world. It creates a large vortex which is then used to suck up waste from within the water.
Little by little, the SeaBin is having an impact all over the world, with 2,000,000 kg of waste cleared so far from 1,000 bins.
TouchHear recognition
Have you ever wanted to know the meaning of an unfamiliar word whilst reading a book? Well, this exciting innovation is working to do just that.
The Design Incubation Centre in Singapore has been working on the “TouchHear” system for the last number of years.
These tiny little sensors attach to your index finger and when placed upon an unfamiliar word, the system will give a definition and pronunciation to a tiny speaker attached to the reader’s ear.
Whilst still in its early stages, the potential technological applications of this sort of technology are endless. This would make our Philosophy exam much easier!
Visual aid AR glasses
Just under 5% of the entire world’s population or 350,000,000 people have been said to be blind or to have some sort of serious vision impairment in 2020.
Although advances in medical sciences are prompting various innovative treatments, not everyone gets the opportunity for these treatments.
This is why, in recent years, many innovative technology companies have begun to work on amazing alternatives to help support or improve the lives of those suffering from blindness.
Orcam, for example, has used Augmented Reality to create glasses capable of magnification, colour and contrast adjustments to the environment around its wearer. It’s been successfully used to drastically improve the vision of those suffering from 20/100 and 20/800 vision acuity, as well as diseases like glaucoma.
Kano Club
As we spoke about in a past article, one sector that has remained static to the technological wave of changes is the area of education. Where the same core structure and systems have been (mostly) unchanged for hundreds of years.
Kano Club subscription service, built on the pillars of creative learning, collaboration and gamification, aims to provide a unique educational experience to challenge this.
It aims to introduce everybody to the power of technology and creativity. Coming packed with an incredible suite of apps such as Kano Code, Make Art, Artopia and JAMS.
For more information on Kano Club and to try it all out for free, Click Here!
Energy bricks
Last but not least we have…energy bricks!
Did you know that a brick wall can also be a battery? Thanks to the red pigment they contain, bricks can be turned into efficient energy storage devices.
Julio D’Arcy at Washington University and his colleagues have been leading a project called PEDOT. They have been using a special conductive polymer called PEDOT to make energy-storing bricks, which could have amazing uses and benefits in the future!
What do you think of our list? Let us know if we’ve missed something! What technology that is now commonplace did you think was crazy or weird when it was first introduced? Let us know on our socials!
