SIX EXCITING  NEW TECHNOLOGIES...

Technology moves at an ever increasing pace and last 

year was no exception. Whilst we saw many emerging 

technologies, 2014 is set to bring them into the 

consumer marketplace....

This article takes a look at some of the most exciting  

technologies you can expect to see more of in the  

coming year.

   

4k Resolution

4K resolution is a type of high definition display for devices. 

The name refers to it’s horizontal resolution of 4,000 pixels. 

That’s double the resolution of devices that have been available 

until this year.

4k content will start to become readily available with Netflix 

showing off their internet-delivered service at the Consumer 

Electronics Show (CES). Netflix is also now able to stream 4k 

video at a rate comparable to current HD streaming.

With many manufacturers producing 4k TVs and monitors,  

2014 is set to be the year that 4k TV becomes consumer ready. 

There has also been a significant drop in price, making it a 

more accessible offering for mass market consumption.

3D Printing and Scanning

This year will see a vast amount of 3D printer manufacturers 

with many new kickstarters to boot. 3D printers are becoming 

easier to obtain for the average consumer with models now 

available under £1,000. Users can now create 3D models or buy 

them premade from various modeling sites. Companies like 

Makerbot are at the forefront of delivering high quality ready 

made 3D printers that are making it more accessible for 

everyone.

There are also developments in 3D scanning technology. The 

Sense 3D scanner allows users to scan anything from small 

consumer products including footwear to much larger objects 

and even themselves.

Car Technology

Self driving cars seem like something from the future, 

but recent developments in autonomous driving make it 

a much nearer reality. Audi’s concept A7 Autonomous 

car drove itself onto the stage at the CES show, 

stopping in front of hundreds of spectators. The vehicle 

scans the road ahead using lasers, radar and cameras 

on the windshield which check blind spots. The 

autopilot technology is intended to give drivers a break 

on long journeys. It can also read data from its inbuilt 

GPS to automatically switch indicators on before the 

next turn.

Audi has also developed its Connect system that allows 

the car to have built in Wifi, allowing up to 8 mobile 

devices to connect in car. The inbuilt 3G connection 

allows the car to connect to Google Maps for high 

definition photos of the surrounding area.

Wearable technology

With Google Glass still awaiting a sensible priced release, 

smaller firms will be showing off their own tech-enhanced 

eyewear.

Another pair of smart glasses is the Glassup. It superimposes 

alerts from your phone, directions and other information onto 

the user’s right eye.

Much of the other wearable tech we’ll see this year will be 

focused on fitness with many brands producing bracelets. 

Razor’s Nabu integrates two OLED screens that monitor 

information including your heart rate, how many steps you’ve 

taken and your sleeping habits. The Nabu also sets itself from 

the rest by including motion gesture control which can help 

you 

navigate your smartphone with the flick of a wrist. Many of the 

smart bracelets available give you goals and diet tips along the 

way. Some even incorporate games to compete with your 

friends so you can track who has travelled the furthest or 

burned the most calories.

Augmented Reality

Augmented and virtual reality could be one of the fastest 

growing technologies this year. A few devices were developed 

in the 90’s including the Nintendo’s Virtual Boy. However, it 

failed due to low resolution and motion graphics that caused 

dizziness in users.

Oculus, the company behind the Oculus Rift, started as a 

Kickstarter campaign and after gaining investment now has a 

vast amount of early adopters. The new Oculus Rift Prototype 

dubbed the ‘Crystal Cove’ improves motion tracking, allowing 

for a better and realistic head movement. The added 1080p 

OLED screen provides a much higher resolution. Motion 

sickness has been addressed with users now being able to enjoy 

the Rift for sustained periods of time.

PrioVR have developed a full body exoskeleton suit which users 

can wear to provide full motion capture capability. You can 

run, jump and even crawl with natural movement. Paired with 

the Oculus Rift, this enables a sophisticated experience of the 

virtual world.

Home automation

Homes are also starting to become smarter, tracking 

information about how we live and using that data to provide 

better solutions to our everyday routines. We can expect home 

automation to improve vastly on the devices of last year. In 

2014, the home automation market will rapidly expand as home 

owners find the latest gadgets more accessible.

We’ve already seen many robotic cleaning solutions, but one 

big upgrade we can expect to see this year is the Moneual Rydis 

H68-Pro with the dual setup of hoover and mop combined. This 

robotic cleaner navigates its way around whilst hoovering and 

cleaning up debris. After a thorough clean, it will change into 

mopping mode using cleaning fluids built into its storage tank.

Home security is making progress too, in the form of automatic 

door locking systems. There are already a number of systems 

that can remotely open and lock doors from your smartphone, 

but this year we will see devices that will be compatible with 

more locking mechanisms.

That’s our round-up of technology to keep an eye out for during 

2014. Let us know if you spot any other exciting technologies 

throughout the year!