It is indisputable that fourth industrial technologies empower businesses and consumers by creating improved efficiencies. Fourth industrial revolution inventions will increase the number of people with access to healthcare, education, financial services and employment opportunities. It's a real game-changer. At Forge Academy & Labs, we are active in robotics, virtual and augmented reality, 3-D printing, coding, and drone technology.
In this article, we unpack some inventions from the fourth industrial revolution that have a positive global impact.
SMART HEALTHCARE
Precision medicine using fourth industrial revolution technologies to develop personalized treatments based on instant health monitoring and anticipating many diseases has positively impacted healthcare efficiency.
Smart healthcare plays a fundamental role in disease treatment with the DNA sequencing of tumours and specific genetic mutations. This allows the development of innovative therapies for diseases like cancer beyond current therapies, increasing the chances of survival with less invasive treatments. IoT devices that promote a positive feedback loop through biodata production are linked to precision medicine.
These devices are capable of automatic learning, pattern recognition, generating and monitoring biodata and subsequent risk assessment, and promoting early medical interventions and behaviour changes.
Likewise, fourth industrial revolution inventions for surgery currently incorporate various technologies, such as robotics, big data, and IoT. These technologies are as safe and effective as traditional surgery. They speed up patient recovery time because it is less invasive.
The efficiency and effectiveness of 4.0 technologies using machine learning and AI in the health sector are essential in reducing mortality rates. They can facilitate access to specialist physicians because they emulate human intelligence. They help non-expert physicians with decision-making by predicting health conditions and illnesses using algorithms, leading to more accurate diagnoses and medical history intelligence.
VIRTUAL REALITY
One of the most famous inventions from the fourth industrial revolution is escaping into new worlds with virtual reality (VR).
Thanks to the fourth industrial revolution inventions, consumers can interact with their own digital space. Interacting with a digital world is not a novel idea, as movies like Tron (1982) and Spy Kids 3-D (2003) brought conceptual VR technology to life on the big screen. Many applications for this type of emerging tech include gaming, social networking, education and marketing.
A person's five senses are what form their perception of reality. In theory, everyone's reality is unique to them. VR serves the senses with computer-generated information, and the perception of reality changes creating a new, virtual one.
VR uses computer technology to create a simulated environment. Unlike traditional user interfaces like a television, VR places the user inside an experience. Instead of just viewing a screen, users are immersed in and able to interact with 3D worlds. This invention, birthed during the fourth industrial revolution, is applied across various sectors, including medicine, architecture, and the military.
TYPES OF VIRTUAL REALITY
There are three main types of fourth industrial revolution virtual reality inventions. These inventions transform the world around us and include non-immersive, semi-immersive, and fully-immersive simulations.
Non-immersive simulations
Technically, the average video game is considered a non-immersive virtual reality experience where a gamer sits in a physical space but interacts with a virtual one.
Semi-immersive simulations
Semi-immersive experiences provide users with a partially virtual environment for interaction. Generally, this type of VR is used for educational and training purposes. The experience is made possible with graphical computing and large projector systems.
Fully-immersive simulations
When imagining VR as a fourth industrial invention, one thinks of a fully-immersive experience. To be completely immersed in the experience, equipment like head-mounted displays, headphones, gloves, and maybe a treadmill or some suspension apparatus are used. This type of VR is used for gaming and entertainment in VR arcades or homes. Fully-immersive simulations give users the most realistic experience possible, complete with sight and sound.
DRONE TECHNOLOGY IS A FOURTH INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION INVENTION
Drones are a fourth industrial revolution invention that is changing how countries tackle service delivery, improving the lives of their citizens and building their economies. Logistics companies like Zipline operate drones in Rwanda and Ghana that deliver much-needed medical supplies to rural hospitals.
Drone technology in the fourth industrial revolution is beneficial in providing aerial views of malaria-stricken areas, identifying mosquito breeding sites, and then spraying insecticide to control the further spread of the disease.
The Western Cape Government Health's (WCGH's) Emergency Medical Services (EMS) is the first government institution allowed to fly drones legally. The drones will help identify wildfires during fire season, allowing earlier response times and assistance in rescue operations.
Drones have been implemented for more than two decades. They deliver medical and food supplies to disaster-hit areas. New uses for these devices are constantly being discovered as the fourth industrial revolution inventions continue to evolve.
Many believe that drones will eventually have the same positive socioeconomic impact as mobile devices have had.
Fourth industrial revolution inventions will continue to usher in the new digital economy. It is an exciting time to be alive and involved in developing technologies that save and transform lives for the better.