10 Tech Products That Were Once Only in Science Fiction That Are Now Reality

Science fiction, with the power of imagination, has painted vivid pictures of the future. From the pages of books, bold ideas about technology have become reality, not only changing the way we live but also opening up new horizons for humanity.

Who would have thought that technologies that were once seen only in science fiction movies would now be embedded in our everyday lives? Although the dream of space travel and multi-purpose robots is still far away, the modern technological world is witnessing rapid advances.

Many inventions that were once only imagined have now become reality, leaving us amazed at the speed at which science is advancing. From smartphones with global connectivity to self-driving cars on the streets, technology has proven that there are no limits to human imagination.

1. Flying car

The idea of ​​flying cars has long been a part of science fiction, and recently it is gradually becoming a reality thanks to advances in technology. Many companies around the world are developing flying car prototypes, and some projects have already conducted successful flight tests.

Recently, the world of technology witnessed an amazing step forward when Xpeng, China's leading electric vehicle brand, successfully completed the first flight of a flying car in Beijing. The flying car, manufactured by its subsidiary AeroHT, took off from Daxing International Airport, marking an important milestone in the journey to bring personal transportation to a new level.

In the Netherlands, PAL-V International BV has developed the PAL-V Liberty, a hybrid vehicle that can travel on roads and take off and land like a conventional aircraft. The PAL-V Liberty has completed test flights and is expected to be commercialized in 2025.

Similarly, the German company Skytaxi GmbH has also developed the Skytaxi, which is an electric vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) flying taxi. The project aims to develop a safe, efficient, and environmentally friendly urban air transport system. Skytaxi has successfully conducted test flights and is expected to be put into service in the next few years.

Whether flying cars will become a reality in the future depends on many factors, including technological developments, changes in regulations and laws, and public acceptance. However, recent successful tests show that flying cars are no longer just a fantasy but are becoming a reality.

2. Self-driving cars

Self-driving cars are vehicles equipped with sensors, cameras, radar, GPS and artificial intelligence (AI) to automatically control and move without human intervention. Self-driving cars are considered one of the most advanced technologies today, promising to bring many benefits to people and completely change the way of moving in the future.

Currently, self-driving car technology is being strongly developed by many major technology companies in the world such as Google, Tesla, Uber, Waymo,... Many companies have successfully manufactured self-driving car prototypes and are testing them in practice.

The United States and China are currently the world leaders in testing self-driving cars, with thousands of vehicles currently being tested on public roads. Self-driving car trials are also taking place in many other countries, including Japan, South Korea, Germany, France and Australia.

Governments in many countries are also supporting testing of self-driving cars, seeing it as a technology with the potential to revolutionize the transportation industry.

3. Humanoid Robot

Humanoid robots have long attracted human attention, appearing in many works of science fiction and evoking the imagination of a future where humans and robots can live and work together.

Despite the challenges, the field of humanoid robotics has seen remarkable progress in recent years. Thanks to advances in engineering, materials, and artificial intelligence, scientists have created increasingly sophisticated and humanoid robots.

In China, according to a document released by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology last October, the country plans to mass produce advanced humanoid robots by 2025.

Fourier Intelligence, a Shanghai-based startup that develops and manufactures humanoid robots, said it expects to roll out about 1,000 humanoid robots for delivery this year.

Meanwhile, to compete with China's ambitions, American startup Agility Robotics, which develops and manufactures humanoid robots, said it will produce hundreds of its Digit robots by 2025. The company is currently building a humanoid robot factory in Oregon and is expected to open later this year.

4. 3D printing technology

3D printing technology, also known as additive manufacturing, was imagined by British writer HG Wells in his work “The Shape of Things to Come” published in 1899 and then the technology was widely popularized in the 1980s. Today, 3D printing is used in many fields, from manufacturing to medicine.

3D printing is a process of creating a three-dimensional object from a digital model. It works by laying down material layer by layer until the object is complete.

Once a complete fantasy, 3D printers have made it possible to create many things from basic polymers or even 3D print food. Modern 3D printers can create all sorts of products from polymers, metals and plastics in just a few hours, from car parts and vacuum cleaners to toys, guns, models and more. Even food can be 3D printed using food slurries like gels and doughs.

3D printing technology is developing rapidly and has the potential to revolutionize many industries. In the future, 3D printing could be used to create more complex and sophisticated products, reducing manufacturing costs and increasing production speeds.

5. Electric car

The idea of ​​electric cars has been around since the 19th century, but it is only in recent years that they have really become popular. Electric cars are seen as an environmentally friendly alternative to gasoline cars and are being developed by many leading car manufacturers.

Electric vehicles are vehicles that run on an electric motor instead of an internal combustion engine. They use batteries to store electrical energy, which can be charged from the mains or from renewable energy sources such as solar or wind power.

Fueled by companies like Tesla, modern electric vehicles can travel hundreds of miles on a single charge. The instant torque from a battery-powered motor provides powerful acceleration. The only real limitations to electric vehicles today are the still-nascent charging infrastructure and concerns about the longevity of lithium-ion batteries.

Despite some drawbacks, electric cars are becoming more and more popular as technology continues to improve and prices continue to fall. Electric cars are a great option for reducing environmental impact and saving on fuel costs.

6. Artificial intelligence and virtual assistants

Generative AI is capable of generating new content, such as text, images, and music. Today, generative AI is being developed by leading technology companies in the world such as Google, Microsoft,...

With ChatGPT, Claude 3, Google Gemini, and other multimodal generative AI systems, we now have intelligent tools that can intelligently create things instead of simply searching through existing information.

This could be demonstrated by asking ChatGPT to compose a poem or create an image of a dog on the moon, through simple commands spoken or written in natural language. Such AI models may still be fallible at times, but they open up a whole new avenue for creating content even if you don’t have the necessary artistic skills, or providing a virtual companion for those lonely moments.

The advent of smartphones and the development of AI have fueled the rapid growth of virtual assistants. Virtual assistants today such as Siri, Alexa, Google Assistant, etc. are capable of understanding natural language, learning user habits, and performing complex tasks such as scheduling appointments, booking, shopping, etc.

The combination of generative AI and virtual assistants promises to bring many new and useful applications in the future. For example, virtual assistants can use generative AI to create personalized stories, songs, or videos for users.

7. 4D Movie

4D cinema is a multi-sensory projection system that combines 3D moving images with realistic simulated environmental effects, giving viewers a more vivid and realistic cinematic experience than ever before.

To create vivid 4D effects, 4D cinemas use a variety of technologies, including vibrating seats, water effects, wind effects, scent effects, and lighting effects. When the movie starts, the effects will be activated according to each scene, helping viewers feel the movements, sounds, scents, and real feelings, as if they were actually participating in the world in the movie.

8. Smartphone

A smartphone, also known as a smartphone, is a handheld mobile device that combines the functionality of a traditional mobile phone with the advanced features of a personal computer, a digital camera, and internet access. Today, smartphones have become an indispensable part of people's lives, providing countless conveniences and connecting people anytime, anywhere.

However, the journey to invent the smartphone was not simple, going through many stages with contributions from many different scientists, engineers and companies.

The invention of smartphones has brought countless positive impacts to human life such as helping people connect with each other more easily through calls, messages, social networks; providing a huge treasure trove of information and quick news updates; contributing to improving work efficiency through email applications, project management, online meetings, etc.

9. Drones

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), also known as drones, are unmanned flying devices that are remotely controlled or programmed to perform various tasks. The history of UAVs spans centuries, from early ideas to today's modern machines.

Nowadays, drones have become increasingly popular and are widely used in many different fields. Thanks to advantages such as flexible mobility, long-range vision and the ability to carry many types of sensors, UAVs provide effective and economical solutions for many different activities such as photography and filming, security surveillance, power line inspection, delivery, surveying and mapping, search and rescue, etc.

10. Smart watch

Smartwatches are now a popular wearable device, integrating many features that go beyond the simple timekeeping function. However, its development journey has gone through many interesting stages, starting from bold ideas in science fiction to widely applied reality.

Nowadays, smart watches have become an essential part of many people's lives, with a variety of designs, styles and features to meet all user needs such as Apple Watch, Samsung Galaxy Watch, Garmin Smartwatch,... From health and sports tracking, mobile payments, smart home control to work and entertainment support, smart watches are increasingly asserting their position in the digital age.

Phan Van Hoa