What unknown technological invention will have a huge impact on the future? A compilation of Reddit answers.

On Reddit, it was asked, what’s a relatively unknown technological invention that will have a huge impact on the future? As expected, there were countless great examples, so I compiled them below and tried to organize them by topic.

Biotechnology and medicine

• Microgel will be used to repair spines
• Research into bacteriophages could cure antibiotic resistant bacteria such as MRSA.
• Gene therapy will wildly proliferate.
• Wireless ECG machines will be more widely used.
• Implants are being developed which can grow with kids. Importantly, children with faulty heart valves or damaged organs which require a synthetic element can undergo just one surgery.
• Bio chips are now a reality of sorts. Means we can test various drugs and treatments on your genetics without doing it on you.
• Printed human skin and organs.
• AI/ML algorithms for medical imaging

Energy, material, and minerals

• Carbon grids will eventually reproduce the catalytic effects of Rhodium metal, commonly used in catalytic converters. “Rhodium metal is currently trading at $13,000/oz after a huge spike due to worldwide emissions restrictions that took effect in 2020.”
• Old landfills will be mined by bots to extract useful elements.
• Lithium sulfur batteries are being developed to replace lithium ion batteries, but are difficult to produce.
• Low-pressure solar-powered drip irrigation systems.
• Transparent solar panels could replace window glass.
• Biologically-derived electrodes/batteries
• Advanced nanocomposite materials for magnetic devices
• Carbon nanotube technologies.
• Photocatalytic paint will break down air pollutants into harmless compounds.

Robotics and transportation

• Hypersonic missiles.
• SABRE engines are hypersonic precooled hybrid air-breathing rocket engines, designed to achieve single-stage-to-orbit capability.
• Agricultural robotics (pickers, sorters, computer visions for identification (phenotypes for example), etc.)
• Brain-to-computer interfaces
• Widely deployed sensors
• Autonomous drone-swarm technologies (applies to manufacturing, emergency rescue, mapping, etc.)
• Emotion and identification recognition through voice, gait, etc. using AI/ML algorithms