Top 2018 tech inventions that you need to look out for in 2019

This year has indeed blessed us with many breakthroughs and new discoveries, so it can feel a bit overwhelming to pick just a few. In this article, we will attempt to mention the ones that we believe will most likely affect the majority of us, divided by industries: Health, Education, Energy, Agriculture, Transportation and Fintech.

HEALTH

The field of Health has seen the biggest changes in 2018 with groundbreaking discoveries. People are now able to design their babies, monitor their sugar levels, blood pressure and whatnot from their phones, and have limbs replaced by artificial ones that work even better. Here are some jaw-dropping biotech upgrades:

Artificial Embryos & Genetically-edited Babies

“We know that stem cells are magical in their powerful potential of what they can do. We did not realize they could self-organize so beautifully or perfectly,” said Magdelena Zernicka­-Goetz, head of the research team at the Cambridge University, which made the breakthrough for artificial embryos last year. Their technique consists of manipulating stem cells. She also backed the idea that soon it will be possible to have mammals be able to reproduce without the need of either an egg or sperm.

On the other hand, CRISPR babies, or genome-editing technique, allows scientists to edit the genes of a baby before birth. This, however, has so far only been tested in China. Whereas the artificial embryos research is being carried in different universities: Cambridge, Michigan and Rockefeller University.

Both types still expose a big question mark when it comes to ethical issues. The positive outcome is that people who may have issues conceiving a baby could now have the chance to start their own family, and yet, it is still very unclear how this new aspect of science will be released: Who will have access to it at first? Everyone, or just a few? And who will be in control of how gene and embryo editing will be utilized? The legal restriction on editing the genes of editing embryos around the world is very ambiguous, so far this type of research is banned in Europe, and China is taking the lead within this area.

AI for detecting cancer

A recent study has shown than AI tech has so far been able to identify accurately 95% of skin cancer. Whereas doctors right now are so far around 87% accurate when detecting the same disease.

Anti-migraine injection

On this hectic life, with ever-changing weather, routines and lack of sleep. It is easy to suffer from a migraine. There is now a monthly injection that reduces the risk of suffering from migraine attacks by 50%, called Aimovig. It acts by directly targeting the molecular interaction that creates the disorder in the first place.

Sugar blood monitor

A monitor of the size of a grain of rice placed just under the skin, sends notifications to the user’s smartphone every 5 minutes, instead of them having to prick three times a day for blood samples.

Electronic Skin

The University of Tokyo has developed a semiconductor tech that reads the body’s vital signs and actually display them on your skin through a plastic material placed on your skin. Such an invention is aimed to initially be able to display your heart condition and rate.

Artificial Pancreas

Also known as automated insulin delivery systems, are insulin pumps placed within the human body. All while being controlled by an algorithm that will make sure the sugar-levels stay stable and connect the pancreas to a smartphone.

Brain Implants:

Memory improvement

The US Department of Defence has developed a chip that will improve the human’s brain memory by 15% through deep-brain stimulation with electrical pulses.

Sight Incepting

A team has developed a neuroscience a prosthetic for the sight which acts directly to the cortex and sends information to the brain.

Paralysis Improvement

Although still under development, patients testing this new tech are able to interact with computer software like playing on a digital keyboard. A team has reported having successfully completed the first brain implant that allows the individual to reach out to an Android tablet by only using their mind.

EDUCATION

Thanks to the latest tech like the Cloud, AR and IoT… education now should be an open resource for everyone. Over the past year, there have also been new innovative creations that should help not only make education access more versatile but also more updated with ‘new’ subjects that will be key skills to have on anyone’s CV for the future of employment.

AI and Adaptive Education

During last year’s World Summit, has proven that Artificial Intelligence is being used within the education industry, to create and promote adaptive education, specializing in the subjects of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.

With the power of AI, algorithms can rapidly identify where students have mastered new skills or either knowledge where they still need support on. This, plus online and adaptive education, will completely disrupt and change the industry as we know it.

Right now, there are global platforms such as Knewton, Smart Sparrow and Squirrel AI. According to data by QuestMobile, there are more than 220 million active users of online education apps.

Technology to fight bullying

This year TV shows like ’13 Reasons Why’ have aimed to raise more awareness of the serious status of bullying in schools and how to prevent, educate and protect.

Online platforms like tootoot, give an anonymous platform for victims of bullying to report on. The AI-powered app Bosco allows red-flagging on any keywords that may make any online statement directed to a minor, sound out of line or threatening.

The Edtech software NetSupport also performs real-time monitoring and flags out any negative or threatening words.

Teaching coding & programming to 8 year-olds

The year 2018 has also seen the rise of many startups targeting to improve primary school students curriculum with ‘more relevant’ subjects like learning how to program and code.

Apps like Grasshooper, teaches users how to code with Javascript through games and puzzles.

The website Codemoji also offers the same possibility for students to learn HTML, CSS and other software by using emojis.

Other cool platforms using the latest tech allow kids to visit places from the reach of their phones and tablets. Waypoint EDU app allows teachers to create scavenger hunts with AR technology.

Agriculture

When it comes to food supply and production, it is still a bit hard to picture what could come from combining high-tech like AI with harvesting. However, 2018 has also had its share of growth in the industry and plenty of tech startups have bet on the food industry.

Lab-grown meat

Lab-grown meat is at the doorsteps of the supermarkets. These ‘protein’ products are produced in a lab without the need of killing stock animals. They are grown from ‘cultured cells’. Several startups, like Mosa Meat, SuperMeat, Finless Meat or Memphis Meat, are also developing poultry, seafood and pork.

Monetizing crops data

Farmobile and Agrimatics are two current examples of blockchain being integrated into the agriculture industry. By collecting data from the gathering of farm equipment and transform it into monetized market information. This kind of information is valuable to other companies and startups like the ones introducing software into farming or smart microgardening.

Transportation

Combine transportation and tech on this era, and you get flying humans, drones and solar-powered planes.

Without any exaggeration, as it’s already happening, transportation engineers are aiming to approach a ‘cleaner’ way to commute with fewer emissions of CO2. Whether it is with exoskeletons or drones, the industry is also looking forward to allowing humans to reach places that were previously inaccessible.

Solar-powered plane

Airbus’s Zephyr S HAPS set an all-time record standing afloat on 70,000 feet during 25 days. This successful initiative promises a much environmental friendly air transportation air.

Gravity suit

Currently, this suit has a battery that allows it to fly for eight minutes. What’s new about this sci-fi infrastructure is that it uses a “trio of precisely controllable kerosene-powered microturbines — two of the breadloaf-sized engines on each hand and one on the back — to generate a stable “tripod” of thrust totaling 1,000 horsepower.” Popular Science.

Fastest Electric Car

C_Two by Rimac: over 1.9K horsepower engined by four zero-emission electric motors (one at each wheel) while still offering luggage capacity. Price goes around the $2,000,000.

EV Charging for cars

If you own an electric car, then you also want to make sure you are charging it right. The company Electrify America has offered an EV Quick Charging through a skinny cable, almost just as pumping a regular car with gas. Volkswagen’s subsidiary plans to invest $2b dollars across the US in charging stations to include this new power source.

E-Tron Virtual Mirrors for cars

Audi’s digital side mirrors provide a new way to look back while driving. Instead of the regular mirrors, HD cameras will capture the view behind and it will display inside the car’s cabin doors sill on OLED screens, while touch controls allow you to adjust and zoom to ensure an optimal view. This initiative, despite being denied its green light by US’ regulators is still going overseas.

Shape-shifting wheel

Carnegie Mellon engineers have developed a wheel that adapts to its environment: from flat surfaces like highways to tougher areas gravel or sand, and vice versa.

Fintech

The year 2018 has seen a big boom a boost in the industry of financial technology, and 2019 looks like it will only see further and bigger developments in the field. According to the Matrix FinTech Index the prediction for 2019 will deliver 200% returns over the three years ending in December 2019.

Below we share a couple new domestic/ commercial gadgets related to Fintech, that have been highlighted in 2018. For further research, here is the list of Fintech 50 companies in 2018 by Forbes for further details.

Crypto Anchors

These tiny chips created by IBM aim to be able to provide both industries and consumers with the security to store their personal data and avoid fraudulent online behavior.

Web Authentication USBs

Now more than ever before, searching online and logging in using personal data is very risky. Any gadget that would help to make this process safer and smoother is always welcome.

FIDO Alliance and W3C have created a WebAuthn USB for password-free logins. However, soon enough, same way users can unlock their phones with face-detection, login into accounts will be carried out with some kind of fingerprint, voice, face or maybe even eye detection.

Amazon Go

No-cashier supermarkets by Amazon are now available. At the entrance, the customer scans a QR code with the Amazon Go app, then simply collect items needed, to finally receive a digital recipe.

Six stores opened in the US last year and more are yet to come. European supermarket chains are also following up, like Ahold Delhaize from Denmark.

To sum up

What we can see from this list and recap of 2018 is that the last year has witnessed many huge new discoveries that will disrupt life as we know it and keep evolving it. It is hard to define a technology that still has lots to offer, and that is proving to surprise us with a new feature on a monthly basis. But so far is good to follow reports like the annual AI Index.

We are indeed not only at the doorsteps of a new year, but also a new, exciting era for the technology and science industries. For the upcoming top tech trends to be developed in the upcoming year of 2019 see our list and let us know if you think there is something missing, or if there is a particular invention that will stand out the most or still has a long way ahead.

For a further, longer list check out these 100 greatest innovations of 2018.