Within this article I am going to guide you through some of the next generation electronics which I believe will impact the world to be a greener, safer and more positive place to live in. From self-driving cars to electric lighters, you can expect these products to be super popular and well known within the next few years!
Next Generation of Environmentally Considerate Electronics
According to OVO Energy, we bin around 50m tonnes of electrical waste globally every year. Along with this, us humans have already destroyed 27% of our coral reefs which is home to 25% of our marine life – a quote from The World Counts. It is widely known that the wellbeing of our earth is in a crisis state. With limited access to earth-made recourses and decontaminated habitats, the planet is striving to have a more environmentally friendly approach. The approach is to manufacturer products in a more sustainable manor, along with encouraging societies to reduce the amount of waste they discard of. For example, many suppliers and distributors have improved packaging by implementing environmentally friendly practices such as making smaller, lighter packaging. Mouser Electronics quoted that ‘Mouser has improved its packaging for smaller orders by implementing environmentally friendly packaging. Mouser has significantly reduced the amount of packing material, while still providing quality protection to all products while in transit. Mouser’s new, smaller, lighter packaging has a significant environmental impact by reducing fuel consumption and emissions during transport. Also, by utilizing a material that is both biodegradable and recyclable, we are lowering the amount of waste.’ But its not only the electronics industry that has joined the climate movement. MarketWatch reported that McDonald’s plans to stock their 36,000 restaurants in 122 locations around the globe with packaging—including straws—that are from renewable, recycled, or certified sustainable sources. By 2025, all their locations will be compliant. Big names such as Guinness, Nestle, Walt Disney Company and Starbucks are all joining the movement to contribute to a greener planet. Below are the next generation electronics which were created with an environmentally considerate approach.
Tesla Coil Lighter
Most of you will know Tesla for being a popular electric car manufacturer. With over 367,500 cars sold in 2019 (50% more than 2018) – the demand for electric cars keeps on rising! Tesla cars are attractive to masses of customers as it’s known to be more environmentally friendly than a standard petrol / diesel car. Tesla have released a coil lighter which doesn’t run on butane (fossil fuel) like other standard lighters. Standard lighters use butane to create a spark which lasts no more than a few weeks if lit regularly. The coil lighter which Tesla have created uses electromagnetic induction to power its electric arc. The lighter can be used be a single shake which should generate up to three seconds of electricity / spark. A benefit of the lighter is it is completely windproof as there is no flame. Tesla are known to produce products which are environmentally friendly and high tech. This lighter sells itself for doing just that. Compared to standard plastic lighters that last a few weeks and are then thrown away, these lighters will last longer which reduced the amount of plastic waste.
Biodegradable Components
Most people know electronic components for being small metal products which is almost non-biodegradable. Well not for much longer! Researchers at the University of Wisconsin Madison have developed a microchip out of biodegradable wood. According to Green Citizen, the cellulose nanofibril, or CNF chips are highly processed, but they maintain some of the same characteristics of wood. When in humid environments, they will swell with moisture. To combat the swelling, the chips are coated in a special epoxy that is also biodegradable. The chips aren’t made completely of wood; there are still some metal components on the device, but significantly less than a standard chip. Once the device has fulfilled its purpose, it can be degraded by a fungus. Once broken down, the chip is safe to use as a fertilizer for other plants.
Artificial Intelligence
Artificial intelligence is the term used for machine intelligence. Artificial intelligence is demonstrated by machines which are in contrast with natural intelligence displayed by humans. I believe that AI in the automotive industry will be a huge trend within this decade due to the way technology is improving year on year. Artificial intelligence in the automotive sector will result in applications constantly learning and adjusting to the rules of the road. However, there are many dangerous side effects to artificial intelligence. One being the fact that artificial intelligence cannot exhibit human emotions such as hate, sympathy and love. Autonomous Weapons are programmed to kill through artificial intelligence which can pose risks to many innocent people if they fall into the hands of the wrong people. There is lots of controversy regarding whether artificial intelligence is reliable and beneficial. Within the next decade, I think artificial intelligence will be a huge trend within marketing divisions along with the automotive industry. AI can be used in marketing by leveraging information from customers and delivering the right message back to them using their information. For example, if a customer was browsing for computers, AI would use this knowledge to present them computers in advertisements and popups. I think this will be a huge trend within the next decade as it is cost effective and is reliable. So far, we have already broken into the artificial intelligence field, with popular products such as the speaker ‘Alexa’, we are slowly allowing AI into our lives.
Driverless Vehicles
Artificial intelligence has developed an astonishing amount since it was first founded as an academic discipline in 1956. Today, artificial intelligence systems are shaping the world to become a smarter, faster and more efficient place. AI is hugely beneficial to many industry sectors when it comes to business decisions and productivity – so much so that 84% of company representatives believe that investing in AI can bring more competitive advantages, according to Kommando Tech. From when cars were first properly introduced to the public in the late 1800’s, they have adapted and improved beyond belief. Many people nowadays rely on cars to travel to most places. According to Statista, 87 percent of UK residents have a car available. For the last few years there have been talks of driverless cars being introduced to the public which has caused much controversy but also much integument.
Smart Contacts
It is said that over 150 million people worldwide use contact lenses. Contacts are used to improve vision by being placed onto the eye and have been used for hundreds of years. In the age of wearable components, we are always searching for the next big thing to make customers lives easier and more connected. This is where smart contacts come in. The idea of smart contact is rather than just improving human vision, to also augment the human experience. Many people wouldn’t feel comfortable with electronics surrounding their eyes. However, the soft transparent disk holding the small electronic parts would prevent any potential injury / harm to the eyes. Just like a smart watch, smart contact can measure different levels of health by sampling our bodily fluid. According to New Atlas, back in 2014, Google announced it was working on a contact lens featuring a wireless chip and miniaturized glucose sensor embedded between two layers of traditional contact lens material. In my opinion, I believe these electronic wearables will be the next big thing. I feel that these devices could potentially overtake the smart watch market – if they prove to be completely safe and efficient.
Virtual Reality
Virtual reality is a simulated experience that is completely different to the real world. VR is used in many sectors such as education, training and entertainment. However, virtual reality hasn’t taken off as much as we all expected. It was thought that VR would be as popular as televisions, however its proven to have only conquered a tiny percentage of that market. VR sets were created to give a realistic experience of being inside a game, a film or an imaginative world. Virtual reality sets sell from around £100-£500 depending on the manufacturer and quality. In my opinion, I think VR will become one of the most popular next generation electronic trends. Not only can VR sets be used for entertainment, they also can be used for educational purposes which could prove to be super popular in schools and training facilities.
By Amy Leary, Marketing Manager at eBOM.com
