Technologies that will shape the next decade

Futuristic remote diagnostics concept with businesswoman.

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By  Faustine Ngila

4IR Journalist

Nation Media Group

What you need to know:

• Electric propulsion of planes is seen as another way to eliminate direct carbon emissions.
• E-health firms work with medicine-delivery apps, which means the patient will receive the medicine at their doorstep once dispatched from stores.

Have you ever stopped to think about what the next decade would look like given the current speed of technological innovation across the globe?

Well, almost every aspect of life will become seamless, automated, virtual and less costly as mind-blowing technologies keep getting designed every day, speeding up research among scientists.

Challenges that the world is struggling with at the moment such as the Covid-19 pandemic, climate change, gun violence and terrorism could find viable and lasting solutions in the next few years.

The World Economic Forum has released a list of top 10 technologies that will be pivotal in revolutionising how countries address challenges in medicine and climate change.

i) Micro-needles for painless injections and tests

These tiny needles have been designed to help in pain-free injections and blood testing. Micro needles do not touch nerve endings. They are microscopic, and are constructed through a method called micro-moulding, which involves etching microscopic structures into resin or silicon to cast them.

The process does not require any costly equipment or a lot of training, and can, therefore, be deployed in developing nations where cutting-edge medical technologies are yet to be witnessed.

ii) Whole-genome synthesis

 This is an extension of the booming field of synthetic biology, where researchers use software to design genetic sequences that they introduce into a microbe, thereby reprogramming the microbe to do desired work — such as making a new medicine.

So far, genomes mainly get light edits. But improvements in synthesis technology and software are making it possible to print ever larger swaths of genetic material and to alter genomes more extensively.

Whole-genome synthesising will transform cell engineering, and researchers are confident that the ability to edit the human genome will cure all genetic diseases.

iii) Lower-carbon cement

 Portland cement is one of the most manufactured materials in the world. It is also the source of about 8 per cent of the world’s carbon (IV) oxide emissions.

Cement production process is responsible for 95 per cent of concrete’s carbon footprint and that is why researchers are working on lower carbon approaches by changing the recipe, using different materials, and using carbon capture and storage technologies.

Medicine doctor working with modern computer interface.

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  iv) Digital medicine

Digital medicine is a collection of apps that detect and monitor the mental and physical health of patients. These apps and bots can enhance traditional medicine and provide support to patients with limited access to healthcare.

Over the past five years, the telemedicine field has gained much adoption in Kenya, with over 40 registered digital medicine apps helping patients in rural areas access healthcare at minimal costs.

E-health firms work with medicine-delivery apps, which means the patient will receive the medicine at their doorstep once dispatched from stores.

That cuts off transport and logistics costs on the part of the patient. Digital medical consultation is five times cheaper than physical doctor consultation in Kenya. This is the future.

v) Solar-powered chemistry

This is achieved through a number of processes that harness solar energy by absorbing sunlight in a chemical reaction. The idea is conceptually similar to photosynthesis in plants, which converts solar energy into the chemical bonds of glucose molecules, but without using living organisms, and that is why is also called artificial photosynthesis.

vi) Green hydrogen

Scientists believe the fuel could play an important role in decarbonising hard-to-electrify sectors of the economy, such as long-haul trucking, aviation and heavy manufacturing, because it has no by-product.

vii) Spatial computing

Spatial computing means human interaction with a computer in which the computer retains and manipulates referents to real objects and spaces. It is the technology behind Virtual Reality (VR), Augmented Reality (AR) and Extended Reality (XR) which are already in use in Kenya.

The innovation will bring together AR, VR and XR apps and sensors to raise human-machine and machine-machine interactions to a new level.

It combines these capabilities and controls objects' movements and interactions, allowing a person to navigate the digital and physical world virtually.

ix. Quantum Sensing

You may have heard of quantum computing which uses algebraic methods applied in quantum mechanics to develop algorithms for computations, but quantum sensing is a different concept.

Through the technology, it will soon be possible to have perfectly accurate navigation under water, to sense changes in gravity that reveal potential volcanic activity, climate change and earthquakes, to monitor brain activity on the go, and even to see round corners.

And in our everyday lives, quantum sensing will secure navigation, enhance medical imaging and show us what is beneath our feet.  And that’s the future.

x) Electric aviation

Electric cars are not rare around Nairobi roads but have you ever thought of an electric aeroplane? As the world moves towards green energy, the motivation is around reducing the global carbon print in the atmosphere.

Electric propulsion of planes is seen as another way to eliminate direct carbon emissions. The technology could also reduce fuel costs by up to 90 per cent, maintenance by up to 50 per cent and noise by nearly 70 per cent.

 fmailu@ke.nationmedia.com