Microchip under the skin , futuristic technology
Communication Technology will keep getting smaller and smaller
Yesterday ’ s supercomputers have become today ’ s laptops and smartphones - and is on a steady course to shrink much further . Smartphones have now taken the form of wrist watches and no , that is still not yet the smallest communication technology we have today .
Wireless data microchips , the size of a grain of rice , can now be fitted with RFID and NFC capability , to be implanted within the human body .
This technology has a number of applications . Medical records can be stored in these chips , enabling medical personnel to retrieve essential information especially in cases of accidents and emergencies . Key cards have also been successfully programmed into these chips , enabling its user to unlock doors of offices , homes and cars very much like a Jedi from Star Wars .
Travel records can also be stored in these chips , making passport-less travel a possibility . Payment gateways such as digital wallets can also be programmed into these chips . And yes , there are already people walking around with more than one of these chips in their bodies .
Brain implant technology is not a new area of engineering . Applications range from cochlear implants and retinal vision prosthesis to aid hearing and vision loss , to neuro-modulation chips , electrode arrays and microprocessors to treat brain disorders such as anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder ( PTSD ). More complicated implants in the human brain has also proven successful in enabling communication for sufferers of paralysis through brain-computer interface ( BCI ).
The question is now , how will this area of technology grow in the future ? It is predicted that within this decade , technology would be created to manipulate memory function within the brain . In about two decades , this could be expanded to manipulate mood and personality functions . How humans communicate in the next few years can start to look very different , as our screens get smaller and possibly even disappear altogether in generations to come .
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