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Star Trek predicted automatic sliding doors and flat screen TVs

2muchcoffeeman 8y ago
Apparently not the automatic sliding door. Star Trek the original series 1966. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Automatic_door https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Automatic_door “In 1954, Dee Horton and Lew Hewitt invented the first sliding automatic door. The automatic door used a mat actuator. In 1960, they co-founded Horton Automatics Inc and placed the first commercial automatic sliding door on the market.[4]” And not just flat panel displays, but capacitive touch screens.
- Krasnol 8y ago
  Seems like neither flat displays nor touch screens: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Touchscreen#History https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Touchscreen#History https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flat-panel_display#History https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flat-panel_display#History
vinni2 8y ago
I hope some day we invent Tricorder as well!
- TeMPOraL 8y ago
  I wish. Our smartphones would be halfway there if manufacturers could be bothered to include a few more sensors. Alas, I don't see tricorders happening soon, because they're "action movie" tools. That is, looking from economical and social POV, almost every use case for a tricorder would be better handled by a team of specialists with heavy equipment, and not in a hurry. Real life is boring this way, and technology in the real world isn't about empowering indivduals - at least not in any way that conflicts with the mundane.
- focal 8y ago
  There was a $10m XPRIZE for a Tricorder[1] and they awarded a $2.6m prize to Final Frontier Medical Devices in 2017 [2]. We're getting closer. [1] https://tricorder.xprize.org/prizes/tricorder https://tricorder.xprize.org/prizes/tricorder [2] https://tricorder.xprize.org/prizes/tricorder/articles/family-led-team-takes-top-prize-in-qualcomm-tricor https://tricorder.xprize.org/prizes/tricorder/articles/famil...
masonic 8y ago
The portable data "tapes" are similar to the much-later 3.5" diskettes.

Apparently not the automatic sliding door. Star Trek the original series 1966. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Automatic_door https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Automatic_door “In 1954, Dee Horton and Lew Hewitt invented the first sliding automatic door. The automatic door used a mat actuator. In 1960, they co-founded Horton Automatics Inc and placed the first commercial automatic sliding door on the market.[4]” And not just flat panel displays, but capacitive touch screens.

Krasnol 8y ago
Seems like neither flat displays nor touch screens: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Touchscreen#History https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Touchscreen#History https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flat-panel_display#History https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flat-panel_display#History

vinni2 8y ago

I hope some day we invent Tricorder as well!

TeMPOraL 8y ago
I wish. Our smartphones would be halfway there if manufacturers could be bothered to include a few more sensors. Alas, I don't see tricorders happening soon, because they're "action movie" tools. That is, looking from economical and social POV, almost every use case for a tricorder would be better handled by a team of specialists with heavy equipment, and not in a hurry. Real life is boring this way, and technology in the real world isn't about empowering indivduals - at least not in any way that conflicts with the mundane.
focal 8y ago
There was a $10m XPRIZE for a Tricorder[1] and they awarded a $2.6m prize to Final Frontier Medical Devices in 2017 [2]. We're getting closer. [1] https://tricorder.xprize.org/prizes/tricorder https://tricorder.xprize.org/prizes/tricorder [2] https://tricorder.xprize.org/prizes/tricorder/articles/family-led-team-takes-top-prize-in-qualcomm-tricor https://tricorder.xprize.org/prizes/tricorder/articles/famil...

masonic 8y ago

The portable data "tapes" are similar to the much-later 3.5" diskettes.