The Next Big Thing - Upcoming Stories and Shows

Posted by dimisor on July 6th, 2023

Get the latest in nonfiction from Malcolm Gladwell, Susan Cain and others as eBooks, hardcover books or original video e-courses. Plus Book Bites and more. Join now.Udaariyaan Written Update

The Next Big Thing is a comedy graphic adventure game developed by Pendulo Studios and published by Focus Home Interactive. It is a spiritual successor to the studio's 1997 Hollywood Monsters. Players control reporter Liz Allaire and her companion Dan Murray.

1. Self-driving cars

Whether it’s the latest electric car that can travel several hundred miles without a drop of gas, or an autonomous vehicle that drops you off at work and then returns to park itself when your day is done, there’s little doubt that automation will eventually change how we get around. While self-driving cars may seem like science fiction, the technology is actually advancing very rapidly.

In fact, most car manufacturers now offer some sort of driver assistance features, while companies like Tesla and Waymo are pursuing full autonomy. But the path to autonomous vehicles is a long one. Even the most advanced vehicles still rely on cameras and LIDAR, which are expensive to produce and require detailed mapping of roads. Then there’s the software that makes the vehicles “think.” Creating the computer algorithms required for autonomous driving is challenging enough, but it gets more complicated when you factor in the myriad factors that can cause a crash, including tunnels, weather conditions and construction.

Still, a number of advantages are expected to come with the widespread adoption of autonomous cars, including safer rides (human error is blamed for most auto accidents) and reduced energy consumption. By communicating with each other, vehicles can automatically adjust speed to match others and avoid frequent braking that burns fuel. Autonomous cars will also likely be powered by clean, renewable energy sources, making them a significant step toward a greener world.

Some companies have already started deploying self-driving vehicles to customers. For example, Google’s Waymo offers a fully automated commercial ride-sharing service called Waymo One that’s currently available in the Phoenix area and San Francisco. However, the company’s vehicles still have human safety drivers in case the car needs to be overridden.

2. Artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence is the umbrella term for a variety of technologies, each with its own purpose. Some, like machine learning, focus on gaining insights from data to automate processes and speed decision-making. Others, like natural language processing, help computers understand human speech and text. And then there's strong AI, which aims to create machines with the full range of cognitive abilities that humans have, including self-awareness.

The concept of an intelligent machine seems like science fiction, but it may be our new reality in the very near future. The technology is already being used in smart factories to predict opportunities and disruptions, and it’s helping companies deliver customized products with unprecedented efficiency. Adidas, for example, uses machine learning to develop shoes on demand and to monitor production process. And scientists recently developed revolutionary AI that can replicate the 2001 Nobel Prize-winning quantum physics experiment in one hour.

A variety of AI applications are already out in the wild, from chatbots to navigation apps to wearable fitness trackers. In addition, Google's Maps program uses deep learning to monitor traffic patterns and predict what the best route will be. And a company called MuZero is currently in the running to become the first true artificial general intelligence by beating humans at complex games such as Go and Atari's Asteroids.

The future of AI will be even more exciting when it can combine with other emerging technologies to perform a range of complex tasks that require human-like intelligence. For instance, when autonomous cars are combined with drones that can navigate and take photographs, it could lead to a seamless, highly efficient experience for passengers. But before that day arrives, companies need to prepare by adopting the right infrastructure and leveraging the right skills and tools.

3. Robotics

From the bottom of our oceans to the far reaches of outer space, robots are enabling exploration and performing tasks that humans couldn’t do on their own. And while autonomous cars and artificial intelligence get all the headlines, significant developments in robotics are about to make a bigger difference in our daily lives.

The power of today’s robots is a tight coupling of physical bodies with the algorithms that make them smart. The result is that robots can move on land, in the air and even underwater, recognize objects, map new environments, pick up items and maneuver around them, imitate simple human motions, learn and improve control, act as a coordinated team and more. These capabilities are put to the test in a variety of ways, from the yearly robot soccer competition known as RoboCup to new applications for medical procedures and space exploration.

But what really sets robots apart is dexterity. It’s easy to program a robot to beat an international chess champion, but much more difficult to give it the fine motor skills of a 2-year-old. That’s why many of the companies featured on this list are working to bring robots closer to what we would call level 4 autonomy. That includes reliable hardware; a range of sensor fusion and perception algorithms that allow the vehicle to map, localize, understand its environment and see moving objects; driving datasets; and planning and decision-making.

For example, engineer Hanumant Singh and his students at Northeastern University are building a golf cart-sized mobile robot equipped with a robotic arm that can grasp objects in the home to help elderly or disabled people remain independent. Meanwhile, archivists at Carnegie Mellon University are using a new generation of robots to preserve and protect the world’s cultural heritage.

4. Virtual reality

Virtual reality is a technology that lets participants explore an artificial world, which can be constructed from photographs or film of real places -- or entirely computer generated, such as the fictional worlds found in The Matrix. VR can also be augmented by using haptic devices to provide the sensation of touch or smell. The first VR products were aimed at gaming and video entertainment, but the technology has much broader applications.

Whether you want to try your hand at snowboarding from the comfort of your living room or have a business meeting as a digital avatar or take a tour of Machu Picchu without leaving home, it's now possible to do so with a variety of headsets that are becoming increasingly affordable and sophisticated. The latest headsets offer improvements like hand and finger tracking, allowing you to move objects in front of you, and eye and head tracking to make it easier to read text and navigate a virtual environment.

Many theatrical directors have explored the possibilities of VR for dramatic works during the COVID-19 pandemic, with works such as Dirrogate and The Dream Collector garnering critical praise for their creativity and storytelling. The technology has also been embraced by movie studios for its potential to create new types of movies, including those with multiple plot lines or a choice of endings.

In addition to the entertainment uses for virtual reality, it is gaining popularity in education and healthcare. A popular example is a virtual presentation of the human body that takes viewers from the inside of their blood vessels to their lungs and other organs, with narration explaining how each system works.

5. The internet of things

The internet of things (IoT) refers to any natural or man-made device with an identifier that is connected to the internet. Whether it’s a pill-shaped micro-camera that pinpoints thousands of images within the body, a farm animal with a biochip transponder or an automobile with built-in sensors that alert you when tire pressure is low, IoT devices are becoming more and more popular. This is largely due to the convergence of wireless technologies, microelectromechanical systems (MEMS), microservices and the internet, which has torn down silos between operational technology and information technology (OT and IT). IoT is also bringing data processing and analytics capabilities to the physical world, giving organizations insights that could never be obtained with conventional computers or spreadsheets.

The benefits of IoT can be felt across industries. In manufacturing, for example, it allows businesses to automate processes and reduce manual work. It’s also enabling smarter warehouses and supply chains. In the transportation industry, IoT enables vehicle-to-vehicle and infrastructure communication, as well as smart traffic control and road automation.

In consumer markets, IoT devices range from fitness wearables to connected home devices, such as Amazon Alexa. However, the potential of IoT is much more far-reaching than that: A study by Priceonomics found that 50 billion IoT devices generated 4.4 zettabytes of data in 2020, which represents a staggering amount of valuable information. For example, IoT data can help predict when equipment is about to break down, so manufacturers can make timely repairs and avoid long periods of downtime. It can also improve customer service by helping companies understand how and why customers are using their products or services, making it easier to offer them customized solutions.