10 visions of the future

Mind control

A woman who lost the use of her arms in a stroke was able to eat and sip coffee using a thought-guided robotic arm.

Supersonic airliner

In August, the US military tested a new jet – Waverider – which may help create a future hypersonic airliner that travels six times the speed of sound.

Zappy snapping

Light-field photography may be the big new thing in digital imaging; cameras like this year’s Lytro allow pics to be refocused after snapping.

Iron giant

Suidobashi Heavy Industry unveiled Kuratas: a 13-ft (4-m) high, smartphone-controllable robot with motion-controlled weapons. Yours for $1.35 million.

Backpack air force

Drones that can be launched by hand have been in service for some time – but the US has invented a kamikaze attack version which dives onto targets.

Robot rover

The AlphaDog robot could be future soldiers’ best friend – able to clamber over all sorts of terrain for 20 miles (32km), carrying 400lbs (180kg) of gear.

Bunsen burger

In-vitro meat – grown artificially in a lab – may be a step nearer, after scientists created edible tissue in a Dutch facility.

Twist and shout

Phones that can be bent and twisted may be the hot new trend for 2013, after various flexible prototypes were unveiled this year.

Foam first aid

The next generation of soldiers on the battlefields may be treated with a new method – a prototype foam – which can be injected to prevent internal bleeding.

Gasoline from air

Could we power our vehicles from thin air? Possibly. Scientists in October converted the elements of air into a form of methanol to power an engine.

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