Going to the movies is something that we often do to escape reality, but sometimes the movies aim to reflect reality, and in rare occasions, they are able to predict future realities. Surprisingly, this has already been proven to be the case on more than one occasion; many movies in the past have successfully predicted technology that is available to us now. Whether these technologies have been developed as a direct result of someone’s idea in a movie, or they are just examples of parallel thinking, one thing is for certain—the only limit to the kinds of things we can create is the extent of our imaginations (well, and the laws of science)! So, without further ado, here are some of examples of some home technology that has come straight out of the movies.
Touch and motion sensor tech
It’s something that we used to see regularly in movies about the future—and we still do, only now the technology has caught up with the vision. Movies like Minority Report showed people looking at keyless computer screens, swiping with their fingers and using touch screens; these are so commonplace now, that it’s difficult to remember that it wasn’t always the case. Not only that, but the concept of motion sensors is also being adopted more and more, and is already in use by a number of devices.
Robots that do chores
There are a fair few movies out there that center around intelligent robots taking over the world, so it is reasonable that we would be fairly cautious about this one. However, many of us have already adopted robots into our homes that will take care of chores such as vacuuming and cleaning the floors. These were seen decades ago in shows like the Jetsons, and recently in movies such as iRobot.
Home automation, talking to our devices
It’s another common sci-fi feature to have homes that are fully automated, and maybe even ones that you can talk to. This is also a reality, with everything from your lights to your heating now able to be automated. And can you talk to these and other smart devices yet? Just ask Siri.
Home dna tests
While there was some pretty scary stuff going on in the movie Gattaca, one pretty cool thing that has emerged from it is the ability to take DNA tests at home. Rather than use them to see how healthy your child is going to be and when you are going to die however, these ones are used to find out your family history. Pretty harmless!
3d printing
It was cool enough when you could find anything you wanted online and print it off in your very own home—something which recently became all but redundant with the advent of portable devices—but now printing at home is coming back in a big way, with 3D printers. This kind of thing has surprisingly been seen in popular culture for some years, in movies such as Weird Science.
Tablet computers
When the computer was first invented, it would have been difficult for many people to envision one that didn’t take up a whole room, let alone one that you could have in your home, and especially not one that you could hold in your hand. However, there were some filmmakers who imagined just that, as evidenced by 2001: A Space Odyssey, or Fahrenheit 451.
A lot of these awesome automation trends can be found in houses for sale by owner. This is probably because people that sell their homes themselves often will do DIY upgrades and tend to do things themselves more. If you are looking for automation trends in a home, they are usually a good place to start.