3D search engine (reverse 3D search)

As 3D scanning becomes more common, it would be useful to be able to take a 3D scan of an unknown object, submit this scan to a 3D search engine, and then receive information about it, or links to similar 3D objects. This is an extrapolation into the 3D world of a concept called reverse image search (popularized by the web service TinEye).

I would anticipate that such a search engine would need to rely on machine learning technology due to the wide range of shapes and sizes of functionally-equivalent objects. Consider, for example, the wide variety of objects such as pop-up toasters. Would a 3D scan of any given toaster result in the correct classification as a toaster?

If a library of scans (or photos) of objects is maintained, it may be possible to search for the exact make and model of a man-made object, facilitating ordering spare parts or maintenance guides for those objects that no longer bear their original labels.

The technology would not be limited to identification of man-made objects, but also identification of objects in the natural world, for example identifying invertebrates and fungi are often difficult due to the vast number of species.

Dedesertification of the mid-oceans

Many parts of the oceans, most notably the South Pacific Gyre, are biological deserts. Unlike the land deserts most commonly associated with the word, it's the micronutrients rather than water that's lacking. The most fertile areas of the oceans are where rivers flow into the sea, providing micronutrients that have been eroded from the land, and where currents bring up nutrients from the ocean floors.

So, can we dedesertify these mid-ocean areas by piping water from the lower layers or the ocean floor? Imagine a floating platfrom, with solar and wind power generation powering a pump connected to a long pipe that descends into the depths.

It may even be possible to power the movement of water purely using the heating of the water by the sun. For example, consider that the pipe has a one-way valve (i.e. up only). The cold water is drawn up, then expands, overflowing the edges of the container. The sun then evaporates some of the water, causing lower pressure, which then sucks up more water.

Automating shampoo dispensing

Are we ever going to get to a point with resource conservation where it would be beneficial to automate shampoo dispensing?

The problem I'm thinking about is that when you squeeze shampoo from the bottle to your hand, you are measuring by eye, which is less accurate that what we can achieve with machines. Getting feedback on too little shampoo is easy - the user requests another amount. But feedback on whether there was too much shampoo dispensed is more tricky. Perhaps human voice feedback? Or a camera with image recognition? Or analysis of the soapiness of the water entering the drain? Or some kind of glove that you wear whilst washing your hair that contains sensors?

Will the cost of soap outweigh the cost of the technology (potentially amortized over some years)?

More generally, how deeply do we expect technology to get into the small parts of our daily lives? How much measuring? How much automation?

Ad blocker for the real world - the end of out-of-home advertising

One of the great benefits I'm looking forward to when donning my AR glasses in the, hopefully not too distant, future is the software that I'm sure will quickly be developed allowing me to block out all out-of-home advertising.

Using AI/machine learning/image recognition every billboard can be detected, and it's contents changed to something I want to see, rather than something someone else wants me to see. It could be that the billboard itself is detected, or perhaps the content. Content detection could be through either machine learning techniques or crowd-sourcing, or a combination of the two.

It might even possible for my AR glasses to block TV advertising, and use noise cancelling technology so I don't have to hear them either.

I hope these technologies empower consumers to have a more balanced relationship with the brands that advertise to them.

Pooing in bags

When we flush faeces and urine into the drains we flush away valuable data. Data that is important for our own health, but also for medical research and for the early detection of transmissible diseases.

In the future I expect we will poo into bags and pee into pots, which are immediately sealed and taken by robots to automated laboratories.

Rotating climbing wall with servo-controlled pins for holds

Rotating climbing walls already exist, but as far as I can see from my research, they are a fixed set of holds on a rotating surface (by fixed I mean that they don't change within one continuous climb).

It should be possible however to make a rotating climbing wall with servo/solenoid-controlled pins for holds. These holds can come in and out of the surface, changing the configuration dynamically whilst the user is on the other side of the board. Hence the user has a continuous non-repeating climb.

The holds could be made from the same material as normal climbing holds, and could be configured with various shapes. It may be possible (and necessary) to have a door that covers the hole for the hold to retract into, so the user isn't tempted to use the entrance of the hole as a hold.

Storing stuff in caves with drones

There are a number of advantages to storing things in caves: the potentially vast area relative to surface land costs; the lack of construction necessary; the constant temperature; the inherent security (provided all the entrances to the cave system are know). But they can be dangerous, and hard to navigate (uneven surfaces, etc).

Enter drones. Inaccessibility / navigation is drastically improved with UAVs. And there's no hazard to human health. The cave system can easily be mapped by UAVs, and watertight packages deposited throughout the system.