Science Fiction Science Fact How has science fiction influenced actual hard scientific innovation and invention over the years?
Dean Kamen Dean Kamen – on The Design Process and innovation…
Da Vinci was well know as an artist, musician, architect and engineer. Leonardo Da Vinci Da Vinci was well know as an artist, musician, architect and engineer.
Da Vinci was also less well known as a military designer, creating many mechanically advanced war machines…
…including this design for a gear driven battle tank…
…and a design for a helicopter.
As well as other flying devices. Da Vinci was a master of observation and reverse engineering.
Da Vinci also made very well documented anatomical studies of humans and animals, both from observation and from speculation.
Can science fiction become science fact? Let Star Trek be our guide… STAR TREK was an original TV series created by Gene Rodenberry that ran from 1966 to 1968.
STAR TREK has spawned several movies and multiple TV spin-offs watched by thousands of children who went into science and engineering.
Huge numbers of scientific and engineering innovators were influenced by the technology they saw on Star Trek.
Inspiration which was used to create devices that included the first desktop computer. The Star Trek version seen to the left and two early Apple computers seen below.
Computer Diskettes…
Bluetooth Headsets…
Tablet computers…
And possibly the most common technological innovation of all…
The Cell Phone…
The first cell phone created by Dr The first cell phone created by Dr. Martin Cooper was a direct attempt to replicate a device seen on Star Trek.
The cell phone. Its both an invention AND an innovation. Why The cell phone. Its both an invention AND an innovation. Why? What is it that makes it both? HINT: Think about what Dean Kamen said about innovation.
Where did the idea for the interface on the movie Minority Report come from? Who designed it and is it real? John Underkoffler (on TED Talks)…
Thomas Edison and the science of sound... EXRA CREDIT: How many more examples can you come up with?
Star Trek continues to pioneer innovative thinking including the use of cutting edge prosthetic design… See Dr. Sheila Nierenberg discuss new vision prosthetics at TEDMED
…and cybernetics. A robot is usually an electro-mechanical machine that is guided by computer and electronic programming. An android is a robot designed to look like a human being. A cyborg (or cybernetic organism) is a combination of organic and mechanical parts.
Science Fiction Science Fact PART II…
Aimee Mullins and her Cheetah Legs…
“Why should people who have a disability always be Aimee Mullins attitude that the goal of prosthetics should not be merely be to replicate “normality”, but instead, enhance and augment, drove innovation in prosthetic design. “Why should people who have a disability always be considered to be lacking in some way?”
Prosthetic design has since moved from an emphasis on just practical (or replacement) to energy spent on aesthetic innovation …
practical innovation… Aron Ralston (127 Hours)…
The US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and function (prosthetics that are controlled by thought). The US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) DARPA Revolutionizing Prosthetics program
Dean Kamen Dean Kamen – one of today’s major innovators in the field of medical design and invention, especially today’s cutting edge prosthetic design with DARPA.
Dean Kamen’s work with DARPA falls into which category of development – robotics, androids or cybernetics?