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A means of looking and working towards the future rather than predicting the future.

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Future Of Design

What the landscape of design will look like in 2020, according to the most innovative designers of 2015.

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a small mechanical or electronic device or tool, especially an ingenious or novel one.

"a variety of kitchen gadgets"

synonyms: | appliance, apparatus, instrument, implement, tool, utensil, contrivance, contraption, machine, mechanism, device, labour-saving device, convenience, invention, thing

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How technology is changing the way we work out.

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How technology is changing the way we work out.

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If you've ever struggled to the gym, or put off getting fit and losing that vital half stone until some ill-defined later date, then let's take an exciting leap forward into the future of fitness. Data-rich devices, and so-called "immersive fitness", are starting to make once dull workouts fun and more motivating than ever before.

Picture this: you're going for the burn up a hill trail in the stunningly picturesque Cormet de Roseland in the French Alps; the breeze is whipping your side while you smell mountain fresh air. Your senses are alive and you feel energised and, quite literally, on top of the world. You sense the competition hot on your heels as you rev up your speed for the final climb. It's a tough ascent but you can do it; you have every faith in yourself. You manage to dig deep and give everything you have. Your instructor shouts motivating words as you see the end in sight. You make it over the finish line, feeling triumphant, and like you've just had the best workout ever. You remove your Virtual Reality (VR) glasses and start to cycle more slowly before coming to a stop for a very welcome warm down. Welcome to the world of future fitness and it promises to be a whole lot more fun than ever before.

Like many people nowadays, my fitness regime is multifaceted, combining daily dog walks, outdoor jogs, use of a home gym, and membership of a health club (Bannatyne Health Club). I have been using a fitness tracker (Fitbit) to track my efforts for several months; it monitors my heart rate and the number of 'steps' I take a day. This has averaged at around 16,000 steps a day, which amounts to about 6 miles. It can be a workout, walk on a treadmill or run in the park. If you want, you can also record and review your food and your weight. Niftily, if you've got an Amazon Alexa enabled device, you can also ask "Alexa how my steps have I done today?"

As an interesting digression, the number of recommended steps is 10,000, but, according to the latest NHS statistics, most people only do around 3,000 steps a day. That's an average, and it's likely that there are peaks and troughs throughout the year with the dark winter months ruled by a period of intense inactivity. Come darkest November, most people can be found binging on box sets, after all.

So, what can the future of fitness offer? In short: excitement, and an adventure combined with convenience, which could be the cure for a serious sofa surfing habit.

Health clubs like Bannatynes have started to adopt data crunching too. The MyZone app records workouts both in the club and outside and even displays people's' heart rates and progress on the big screen as they go for the burn in a spin class or body combat, for example. Things are starting to a whole lot more fun, and competitive. You're encouraged to race against the person next to you, buoyed along by the helpful on screen data, the pacey music, the instructor's motivating yells, and the dancing disco lighting. It's all designed to put you firmly "in the zone". Elsewhere, a line of rowing machines has a console that allows users to "race" against each other. The humble treadmill that has its origins as an instrument of punishment in the early 1800s to cure prisoners of their idleness is now a multimedia device. You can view your workout progress for the week, your heart rate, watch your favourite TV show, compete against others using the MyZone app, and even visit a virtual cycle route!

The health club has also adopted virtual classes by Les Mills, a global fitness giant from New Zealand and the creator of "immersive fitness" as the future of fitness. Les Mills opened their first permanent "immersive fitness" studio at 24-Hour Fitness in Santa Monica, CA. Les Mills' "The Trip" class and studio is an experience that projects video and light shows (mostly shortwave colours, like blue, violet, and green) onto a screen at the front of the room, while instructors run the spin class, which synched to the music and graphics. It takes the participant through amazing virtual worlds including computerised landscapes and futuristic cityscapes. "Every sector is embracing new and interactive technology and the health and fitness industry is no different. As a company, we are investing to stay ahead of industry trends, and help members fulfil their fitness goals in a stimulating and fun environment," says Justin Musgrove, chief executive of the Bannatyne Group.

"From virtual classes, MyZone which tracks members' fitness and links to our app, through to our latest innovation the B:360 wristbands, which enable members to access the health club facilities, use the lockers, engage with MyWellness and enjoy the simplicity of contactless payment, the future has arrived and its revolutionising the health club experience."

Getting fit will become a lot more about the individual and convenience. "Gym booths" with exercise machines may even start to appear on the high street, so that busy commuters can pop in on the way to work...

The future of fitness is all about immersion in another world away from the hassle of the day and of mundane reality. No longer will you be a fitness newbie or weekend warrior, but you'll be able to become "Chris Boardman" on a racing track, or a super-charged bionic being in a virtual cityscape. I, for one, can't wait!

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How technology is changing the way we work out

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If you've ever struggled to the gym, or put off getting fit and losing that vital half stone until some ill-defined later date, then let's take an exciting leap forward into the future of fitness. Data-rich devices, and so-called "immersive fitness", are starting to make once dull workouts fun and more motivating than ever before.

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What Is Wearable Fitness Technology and How Can It Help You?

By James T. Cains

A new wave of wearable fitness devices, also called fitness activity trackers, has become extremely popular in recent years. What began as relatively simple devices like pedometers, heart monitors, and calorie counters have evolved into all-in-one devices that can connect to the Internet or your smartphone for long-term tracking of your fitness data, as well as sharing of your data with other fitness fanatics.

Here are the main features of wearable fitness devices:

Step counter: Evolving from the pedometers of old, activity trackers not only count the steps you take, but they also use accelerometers and altimeters to calculate your overall distance traveled.

Heart monitor: Many devices have special sensors that can tell you your heart rate.

Calorie monitor and counter: Working with the step counter, this feature can tell you how many calories you've burned while walking. You can also track how many calories you've consumed throughout the day.

Exercise tracker: You can use the device to track how much exercise you do each day and learn how many calories you burn while exercising.

Sleep monitor: This feature not only tracks how much sleep you get, but also tells you how restful your sleep is.

Goal setting: You can set personal fitness and health goals and receive notifications when you achieve (and more importantly when you don't achieve) those goals.

Connectivity: These devices can connect to apps on your smartphone or the Internet to track your long-term progress. You can also share your fitness data online and interact with others.

Examples of wearable fitness devices

Currently, about 14 companies make wearable fitness devices, and all are competing in what they foresee as a very lucrative market. In fact, industry forecaster IHS Technology predicts that sales of activity trackers will increase from $1.9 billion in 2013 to $2.8 billion in 2019. Here's a quick look at four of the leading activity trackers available today:

Fitbit

Fitbit has a number of activity trackers that you can choose from, depending on your personal style (whether you prefer a wristband or belt clip), level of commitment (whether you want a basic step counter or all the bells and whistles), and size of your wallet (whether you want to pay $60 or $250, or somewhere in between). Of course, cheaper models won't have the more advanced features, such as heart and sleep monitoring or notifications, but all models offer the basics of step counting, distance calculation, and calorie burn calculation. Also, if you want a substitute for your wristwatch, the Fitbit Charge and Surge come with displays that show the time and your daily stats. For more information on using the Fitbit, see Using the Fitbit Activity Tracker to Get Fit.

Jawbone

Jawbone makes three activity trackers - one belt clip and two wristbands - that tie into Jawbone's UP System apps. The trackers range from $50 to $180 and all of them come with the basics. The most expensive of the trackers include a heart monitor, advanced sleep monitor, and workout recognition. None of the trackers come with a display (instead, using LED lights as indicators), but Jawbone's "Smart Coach" claims to analyze your fitness data and provide you with personalized insights and advice in reaching your health and fitness goals. To find out more about Jawbone UP trackers, see Using the Jawbone UP Tracker to Get Fit.

Nike Fuelband SE

Nike's entry into the wearable fitness technology is the FuelBand SE, which is a wristband priced at about $100 and comes in several fashionable colors. It does most of what all the other activity trackers do, but Nike's approach to evaluating fitness activity differs. The Nike FuelBand SE uses "fuel points" to measure the quantity and quality of your activity, recording data directly into a smartphone app. It doesn't have a traditional watch-like display; instead, it uses LED indicators to show your progress. The indicators can even display the number of fuel points you earn, much like a scoreboard at a basketball game. The smartphone app makes it easy to connect with others, join fitness groups to try to reach goals together, and compete with others for position on the leaderboard. To discover how you can benefit from the Nike FuelBand, see Using the Nike FuelBand to Get Fit.

Polar Loop

Polar Loop offers a wristband activity tracker in different colors, with the same kind of scoreboard display as the Nike FuelBand. This tracker does what all the others do in terms of recording your steps, runs, and jumps, and showing you calories burned while doing so. It also connects to your smartphone for goal setting, reminders, and sleep monitoring. The app includes an activity guide to provide tips on how to reach your goals. It's also waterproof for swimming. The Polar Loop is about $110; the optional heart rate sensor will set you back another $80. To find out more about the Polar Loop, see Getting Fit with the Polar Loop Activity Tracker.

How wearable fitness technology can help you

As with most things, how much fitness activity trackers can help you depends on your level of commitment. However, one thing is for sure: Activity trackers do motivate people to get off their butts.

If nothing else, step counters make you very conscious of how much you're walking each day. In fact, you may be surprised by the initial results. For example, you may think you're plenty active, achieving those recommended 10,000 or 15,000 steps a day, but your tracker reveals that you walk only a few thousand steps per day. That can be eye opening and push you to walk more. You may also be surprised when counting calories, recording your intake and comparing it to how much you burn, which again can push you to be more active.

Going beyond this basic functionality can help you even more. Most activity trackers interact with your smartphone to allow for setting goals and long-term tracking of your progress. The apps also provide you with tips on how to reach your goals. Many apps have social networking features that allow you to connect with others so that you and your fitness friends can encourage, and even compete, with each other.

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What Is Wearable Fitness Technology and How Can It Help You? - dummies

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A new wave of wearable fitness devices, also called fitness activity trackers, has become extremely popular in recent years. What began as relatively simple devices like pedometers, heart monitors, and calorie counters have evolved into all-in-one devices that can connect to the Internet or your smartphone for long-term tracking of your fitness data, as well ...

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Technology is changing the fitness industry

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Technology is changing the fitness industry

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1. Online lead generation

Banners, letterbox drops, and newspaper advertising used to be the standard tools for a membership drive but, while those methods are still useful, social media has taken fitness marketing to a new level. Facebook pages, blogs, Twitter accounts and YouTube are powerful ways to connect with new clients and grow your fitness business.

2. Fitness instruction

YouTube videos on your website and virtual personal training techniques offer new ways to deliver fitness instruction. Franchises are also taking advantage of the web to train their own instructors, allowing them to standardise their classes by updating new choreography and videos on web portals.

3. Community

It’s well-known that social support encourages long-term exercise adherence, but social media has taken social support to a whole new level. Online fitness communities can help exercisers stick to their exercise goals, and point newbies to good sources of information. As well as being able to connect with their clients, communities of fitness professionals are also able to meet online and share resources.

4. 24-hour access

While 24-hour gyms aren’t new, the phenomenal success of fitness franchises such as Anytime Fitness is largely enabled by technology, which allows members access to gyms outside of normal opening hours.

5. There’s an app for that

There are so many apps out there which encourage people to take more responsibility for their exercise and nutrition behaviour. For personal trainers, this means you don’t have to be there for long cardio sessions. Apps such as 5k101 take users through an eight week running program, allowing personal training sessions to be spent on activities where technique and guidance are more important, such as weight sessions.

6. Wearable gadgets

Sensor embedded sports gadgets are becoming the ultimate fitness tracker. Measuring activity levels and heart rate, these sports wristbands provide valuable data about a user’s progress. Other gadgets target behaviour modification, such as Pavlok, a sports wristband that emits a mild shock as negative reinforcement to encourage users to reach their fitness goals.

7. Innovative fitness machinery

Technology has taken the simple treadmill to a new level with surround sound, integrated television screens and heart rate monitoring, but more technology is on its way. Several gyms in the United States are testing VirtualU, a 3D body scanner. The

3D body scanner is in beta testing, and is designed to note changes in the body measurements.

How has technology changed the way you teach fitness?

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Unexpected Health, Fitness and Wearable Tech at #CES2017

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Keep a pulse on the health, fitness and wearable technology at CES 2017 with the latest from Fitbit, Philips, Sensoria and SimForHealth.

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Nike Running App which encourage people to run more !

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Nike Running App which encourage people to run more !

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Introducing the all-new Nike+ Running app for iPhone and Android. Get it free: Iphone: http://apple.co/1TOI4BS Android: http://bit.ly/1U99Ht4

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1. Robot assistance
• some may argue many stores have these already,but retailers are moving on, with a view ti replacing staff with sophisticated software.

2. Digital butlers
• doing the shopping may soon require nothing other than a shiny little box. Nearly all the major tech firms, including Amazon, google, aple and facebook, are developing digital home assistance that respond to voice command.

3. Drone delivers
• as a retail sales increasingly transfer from the high street to the internet,one of the biggest problem for retailers is making deliveries. In busy cities where trafic congestion is a problem , one solution already being tested is using drone..

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The ‘green movement’ has swept the world and architecture is at the forefront of the new industrial revolution – buildings being by far the biggest energy-sappers in the world. Many contemporary architects are limited by the confines of budgets, time tables and constricting clients. Some industrious innovators, however, are breaking convention and collaborating to launch our imaginations into the future of green design. A surprising number of the following projects are even slated to be built.   Some of these structures are already in the works while others may never be fully realized. All, however, share a visionary eco-friendly outlook that pushes the boundaries of contemporary sustainable design. From floating eco-cities to sustainable skyscraper farms, modular folding origamic architecture to gigantic green super-spires, here are 24 future green designs that boggle the mind.

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Origamic Emergency Relief Shelter Designs

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Origamic Emergency Relief Shelter Designs

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Super Vegitated Sustainable Community Design

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Super Vegitated Sustainable Community Design

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Stackable Futuristic Public Transit Cars

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Stackable Futuristic Public Transit Cars

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Education in future design is helping students across the world access better education by creating learning opportunities with IT technologies.

SMART SCHOOL
Smart devices ➡️ Content & solution ➡️ Teacher training

• interactive class
Real-time sharing and monitoring through tablets and Pc enable open communications and engaging learning environments

• collaborative Activities
Team activites,group assignments, and group discussions are supported seamlessly via tablets, helping create a spiritt of teamwork among students

•motivational environment
Teachers frequently measure students level of understanding lectures and their performance in test and quizzes using technology and also provide individual learning opportunities when necessary

• Digital content
Students can download the curriculum, textbooks and various materials for each course, which ultimately help improve learning efficiency

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1. Autonomous Vehicle
2. Driver Override Systems
3. Biometric Vehicle Access
4. Comprehensive Vehicle Tracking
5. Active Window Displays
6. Remote Vehicle Shutdown
7. Active Health Monitoring
8. Four-Cylinder Supercar
9. Smart/Personalized In-Car Marketing
10. Reconfigurable Body Panels

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Technologies that going to lead our future.

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Technologies that going to lead our future.

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Theatrical robots. 3D printers that churn out cells. Wearables for infants. These types of technologies might be "out there," but they show off key enabling technologies that are pushing the future of design forward These types of technologies were highlighted at Bloomberg BusinessWeek's Design Conference in San Francisco on Monday.

While these technologies are paving new paths for design practices, designers will be the ones that make sure these new infrastructures and platforms deliver a valuable experience to the user. As design firm Frog's AVP of Innovation and Strategy, Timothy Morey, put it, "designers need to be at the front end of the sensor transition so they can humanize it." The same could be said for building helpful robots, or developing tomorrow's 3D printing tools that could deliver the next industrial revolution.

Here are five enabling technologies that will pave the way for how designers should think and work, and what products will emerge from design-centric companies and design firms.

1). Sensor tech: Cheap, tiny sensors are becoming embedded everywhere, in devices, in the environment and on the body, and these data-rich systems are changing the way products are being designed and how users interact with them.

Body sensors are changing the way computing is working, making it personal, and making it wearable or an extension of the body. Jawbone's Hosain Rahman said during a morning interview that "there's a shift happening from the internet of things to the internet of you." New connected body products are emerging from startups on a seemingly weekly basis. Designer Gadi Amit talked about his work with the Sproutling, a sort of Fitbit (see disclosure) for babies, which tracks a baby's heart rate, skin temperature and movement.

2). Robotics: Robotics are becoming integral to basic connected devices where you wouldn't expect it, like Nest's smart thermostat. Electric vehicle startup Lit Motors uses robotics for its self-balancing, computer-controlled vehicle, which founder and CTO Danny Kim showed off at the design conference. Robots were at the center of the filming of Gravity, and creative robotics company Bot & Dolly worked with design firm Framestore on building the robot-enabled astronaut shots in the film.

3). 3D Printing: 3D printing is already a large and growing business with companies like Autodesk, Makerbot, Shapeways and others selling 3D printing hardware and software. But as these tools become cheaper and more accessible they could turn many more people into creators, and provide mainstream tools for designers. Makerbot's CEO Bre Pettis said during a talk that the company's most recent Makerbot products are like smart phones - with connectivity, and computing - while previous products have been feature phones. As connectivity and 3D printing collide, manufacturing could become distributed and democratized.

4). Synthetic biology: Design isn't just a tool for the material and digital worlds, it can also be important for the biological world. Autodesk's molecular biologist, Andrew Hessel, encourages designers and creators to work with scientific engineering tools to program new types of matter and even print new cells and parts of viruses. Hessel pointed to two startups working on biology-based printing including Gen9, and Organovo.

5). Crowd-funding: While crowd-funding has been transforming the way art, film and products are being created, it's also changing the way designers are designing products, offering a way to experiment. James Ramsey, Principal of RAAD and creator of the Lowline project (the world's first underground park), used Kickstarter to see if there was interest in their idea, and also to fund the creation of the concept prototype of the Lowline. Lit Motors has tested prototypes on Kickstarter, too. We discussed this topic at Gigaom's Roadmap conference in November, as well.

Gigaom has its own experience design conference called Roadmap, which will be in its third year this year. We'll be hosting that event on November 18 and 19th in San Francisco this year, and we'll announce the speakers and open up tickets later this year.
Disclosure: Fitbit is backed by True Ventures, a venture capital firm that is an investor in the parent company of Gigaom.

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5 technologies that are shaping the future of design

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Theatrical robots. 3D printers that churn out cells. Wearables for infants. These types of technologies might be "out there," but they show off key enabling technologies that are pushing the future of design forward These types of technologies were highlighted at Bloomberg BusinessWeek's Design Conference in San Francisco on Monday.

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These smart shoes were designed to reach out to emergency services if they detect that the wearer has fallen

For seniors or people with medical issues, falling down can do a significant amount of damage and getting up can be a challenge. French wearable tech company E-vone designed a smart shoe engineered to send a notification to emergency services if it detects abnormal movements by the wearer.

When something unusual happens, the shoes draw from a recommended list of contacts set up by the wearer and sends out notifications of the event. The sneakers vibrate to confirm that the notification was successfully sent. E-vone created models in three different categories: a sneaker made for seniors to wear daily, a pair of work shoes and hiking boots for anyone heading outdoors for an extended period of time.

E-vone presented the shoes at CES 2018 but has not yet announced a price or release date for the product.

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Sneakers For Seniors Can Call For Help In An Emergency

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These smart shoes were designed to reach out to emergency services if they detect that the wearer has fallen For seniors or people with medical issues, falling down can do a significant amount of damage and getting up can be a challenge.

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We're in the middle of a transformational moment for the automobile. There's a century of gasoline-burning, hand-on-the-wheel vehicles in our rear-view, while the road ahead is powered by electric, driverless technologies. Somewhere between yesterday and tomorrow, however, is the vehicle that bridges this gap, and its spirit can be seen in the concept cars, TED Talks and patent filings of today.

What will the car of the future look like? We set out to find out, documenting 10 trends in car design and technology along the way. To give these trends a face, we collaborated with French transportation designer Sydney Hardy, a student of car design with an eye for futurism. Sydney fused these trends into a single vision with a car we're referring to as Link, a vehicle that bridges the gap between the road ahead and our history in the rear view.
This story is brought to you by vapor-distilled smartwater, who found unique inspiration for their water by looking up to the sky. We hope the change in perspective this piece offers will help inspire you.
Designing the Car of the Future: Exterior Design and Technology

The car of the future should have a little something for everyone. It should be compact enough for city driving, but spacious enough for a family of four to sit comfortably inside. It should be sporty, yet efficient, and designed in a manner that attracts drivers of different age groups, genders and personalities. We envisioned a car that wasn't just transformational, but accessible. Link was created to be the kind of vehicle every driver could take pride in driving.

Link is a 5-door vehicle that is somewhere between a crossover and a sportback. It's lower to the ground than a typical crossover, and it's wider and more spacious than a sportback. While rear hatch designs have carried a stigma in the past, it's included here in a stylish, functional manner to increase interior space and allow for a bit of hauling as needed. It allows Link to be both compact and spacious, a set of elements that are central to its design.

1. Technology Trend: Plug-in Electric / Diesel Hybrid

There's a problem among wholly electric vehicles that engineers are still working to solve: battery capacity and charge times keep drivers within a limited driving range. Some solutions are in the works, but they remain several technological generations away. A widely-accessible, affordable solution isn't likely to be available in 2020, but there is a vast network of diesel fuel pumps available to distance drivers.

Link is powered by a plug-in electric and turbodiesel drivetrain, the former providing 300+ miles per charge and the latter facilitating high-efficiency driving on longer trips. Manufacturers like Tesla, who have opened their patents to use by other car companies, will work to increase battery capacity amongst the generation of vehicles available in 2020. Meanwhile, car companies like BMW, Mercedes, Audi and others have emphasized diesel as a high-efficiency fuel for freeway driving. The BMW 328d for example averages about 45 mpg on the highway, and we expect this to increase as engine technology and fuel quality increases toward 2020.

A combination plug-in electric and turbodiesel hybrid is a new concept, one recently announced by both Volvo and Subaru for forthcoming vehicles. It's sensible and sustainable, offering an electric option for local driving and an efficient diesel backup for longer trips. By 2020, advances in algae biodiesel and other advanced alternative fuels could make diesel driving the best option for legacy combustion engine vehicles. While most drives wouldn't require the diesel backup, Link drivers can rest easy knowing that the fuel they use in those instances is clean and efficient compared to 88 octane gasoline.

2. Design Trend: Broad, Low and Lightweight

In recent years, manufacturers have worked to improve performance and efficiency by cutting curb weight to improve power-to-weight ratios. Others have focused on lower, wider and longer body shapes to improve aerodynamics, interior space and visual appeal. In Link, we've emphasized all three, designing a broad, low and lightweight body for performance, comfort and efficiency. The broad shape improves interior space, the low ride height improves aerodynamic performance and the emphasis on lightweight construction improves the drivetrain's power and efficiency.

These points of emphasis are not new - they represent a growing trend in automotive design. We visited our friends at Cadillac at the Detroit Auto Show for the reveal of the 2015 Cadillac ATS Coupe, and they strongly emphasized their design focus of "longer, lower, leaner". For parallel-parking urban drivers, we avoided an overly long design, but the focus here is a common cause for forward-thinking car companies.

3. Design Trend - Panoramic Roof

A common element in recent concept car designs has been panoramic roofs, roofs with expanded sunroof panels or windows that expand onto the roofline. We played with the idea of a panoramic roofline for Link, as shown in the early sketch above. Using current consumer options, such a roof line would be impossible, since rollover crashes and other impacts would make this option a serious safety hazard. In recent years, however, glass technologies have evolved quickly. Driven largely by mobile phone and tablet computer demands, glass and high-impact plastics have been designed to handle heavy use, shocks and impacts without failing under the stress. The panoramic roof of Link will include state of the art glass technology that will allow for extended visual access above the passenger cabin. Its support comes from the doors and a central column that expands into the center (translucent supports shield the car in case of a rollover). It's designed to be shatter-proof, much like Apple's latest iPad, so it'll absorb impact like any other body panel.

4. Design Trend - Double Doors

A compact size is essential to this design, but that doesn't mean its driver should give up the functionality of a four door. Link has the shape of a coupe but the full functionality of a five door vehicle, thanks in part to its swing-out double doors. Recent city cars like the all-electric BMW i3 and the Honda Element featured similar swing-out double doors. This gives Link four-door access without taking up the body space and additional weight of a traditional four-door vehicle. It's becoming increasingly commonplace in the concept car circuit, and something we expect to see more of by 2020.

5. Design Trend - High Efficiency, Aggressive Headlights

An aggressive headlight design is the mark of a well-designed sports car. Some brands like Audi have connected this trend with an emphasis on efficient, high-output lighting technology. Link shares these traits, with an aggressive set of headlights that use high-efficiency LEDs that provide as much output as they do attitude. While traditional headlights help consume a good amount of fuel on long trips, lights like these sip power while providing a necessary amount of light for safe evening travels.

6. Technology Trend - Regenerative Braking

Braking expends a lot of kinetic energy, as thousands of pounds in momentum are brought to a standing stop. In the past, engineers have discovered ways of harvesting this kinetic energy and storing it for reuse. This technology is called regenerative braking, and it has been used in trains, pedal assist bicycles and some cars for many years. Today, only a few electric cars use this, including all Tesla models, but it has yet to be widely implemented. Link is designed to feature regenerative braking, reflecting a belief that such technology will be commonplace in the electric vehicles of 2020.

7. Technology Trend - Exterior Camera/Sensor Array

Driverless cars cannot operate on software alone. An array of exterior cameras and sensors are necessary to provide the car's computer with the information it needs for automated driving. Such technological evolutions are far from science fiction - they are being designed and built into forthcoming vehicles now to be ready for future software systems. We mentioned the 2015 Cadillac ATS Coupe above, and it features this trend too. Cars like the ATS Coupe and the Mercedes Benz S550 both feature a complicated array of cameras and sensors which provide roadway awareness for the driver, and even some automated driving capabilities. For Link to be compatible with evolving driverless software, it features an array of cameras mounted in the grille, the side mirrors and the rear end to capture information about the road from every viewing angle.

Designing the Car of the Future: Interior Technology

8. Technology Trend - Heads-Up Display Windshield

The visual real estate on the interior of the windshield is a prime location for information display. With Heads-Up-Display (HUD) technology, a driver can see information about the car and the environment around them without taking their eyes off the road. Everything from speed to navigation to safety alerts can be shown on the windshield to inform the driver in the safest way possible.

This isn't distant-future technology - there are systems in place today to provide such information. However, as vehicles become more automated to the point of being fully driverless, HUD technologies will become more useful. Link is designed to feature a HUD system for both active driving and passive, driverless settings. It can be turned off completely for traditional motoring, switched on for driving assist (with navigation and safety information on screen) or entirely automated with a full set of screens and apps. To keep the passenger safe during driverless modes, Link's HUD goes transparent as soon as the driver touches the wheel.

9. Technology Trend - Voice-Activated Car OS

This year, Apple revealed CarPlay for next-gen car operating systems. CarPlay brings Siri to the automobile, providing a voice-activated speech-and-response system for controlling the car's media and navigational environment. By 2020, such systems will be designed to do more heavy lifting. In the case of Link, voice-activated systems will control most of the car's functionality. A driver will have verbal control of the vehicle for all non-basic functions. When driving, commands such as "hold speed at 55" will suffice for cruise control, "brights please" will activate high beams, and, in driverless mode, a passenger can speak an address and the car will navigate to that spot under its own control. Basic media and navigation systems can already be controlled by voice, but by 2020, some cars will be navigable and functionally controlled by voice.

10. Technology Trend - Fully Driverless Automation Technology

Driverless technology is closer than most of us realize. In fact, many vehicles that are available today have drive-assist systems built in. Far beyond cruise control, some current commercially-available consumer vehicles can maintain set speeds, stay between highway lines and brake at the pace of other cars. Many manufacturers are already building sensor arrays and cameras into their vehicles for the 2015 model year. By 2020, such sensor arrays might be standard for the majority of new vehicles produces in the US. In the near future, driverless systems could be pure software technologies that use a hardware standard shared between manufacturers that grow and evolve by version just like today's mobile operating systems.

Link is designed to be "driverless-ready", featuring the camera and sensor arrays that will be necessary for driverless systems. Yet the interior is not designed for the "driver" to turn his or her back to the road. Cars in the distant future may be built without traditional windshields and steering wheels. Link, however, is the car of the future that bridges the gap between this generation and the next. It's designed to allow its driver and passengers to have a traditional driving experience with all of the functionality necessary for driverless transit. Its driver can tune out for a long commute, but take the wheel in a moments notice should they want to take over.

What do you hope to see in the car of the future? These 10 trends represent a clear shot toward the cars we might be driving in 2020. While driverless technologies and next gen powertrains will evolve quickly, we see a vehicle that will bridge the gap between our automotive past and our automated future. We call it Link, and we'd love to know how you'd shape the car of the future in your eyes.
This story is brought to you by vapor-distilled smartwater, who found unique inspiration for their water by looking up to the sky. we hope the change in perspective this piece offers will help inspire you.

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Dreamcar 2020: Turning 10 Trends in Design into the Car of The Future

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We're in the middle of a transformational moment for the automobile. There's a century of gasoline-burning, hand-on-the-wheel vehicles in our rear-view, while the road ahead is powered by electric, driverless technologies. Somewhere between yesterday and tomorrow, however, is the vehicle that bridges this gap, and its spirit can be seen in the concept cars, TED Talks and patent filings of today.

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Audi's newest SQ7 is powered by a 4.o-liter twin-turbocharged V8 diesel engine with a third compressor powered by a 7kw electric motor, running on a separate 48v system. Large turbochargers create more power by flowing more air, but they take longer to spool up. By adding in this electric supercharger, Audi is able to provide boost as soon as you step on the throttle. It's a clever solution to an ages-old problem, but it's not exactly the simplest system ever invented. Allow Jason Fenske of Engineering Explained, then, to explain the engineering behind it.

Using a few simplified cutaway graphics supplied by Audi, Jason jumps right into the heart of the issue, giving us a good idea of why the electric supercharger is needed, how it works, and why the separate 48 volt electrical system is needed to ensure it works correctly. This Audi TDI engine is incredibly complex, essentially acting as an electrically supercharged engine at low RPMs, switching to a single turbo setup at mid-range RPM once the turbo has spooled up, then a second turbocharger (and another set of exhaust valves) are activated at higher RPM for big power delivery. There are a lot of phase changes at play here, and Jason manages to explain it all in just over 6 minutes.

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Audi's newest SQ7 is powered by a 4.o-liter twin-turbocharged V8 diesel engine with a third compressor powered by a 7kw electric motor, running on a separate 48v system. Large turbochargers create more power by flowing more air, but they take longer to spool up.

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