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Sci-Fi Ideas
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Year
Idea
Description
1726
Geometric Modeling
The first recorded use of geometric figures to directly represent, or model, living beings.
1828
Steam-Propelled Moving Houses
Otherwise ordinary residences that move from place to place, powered by steam.
1881
Dutch Clock (Time Machine)
A tall Dutch clock with hands that move... backward.
1888
Credit Card
A simple card that is used in place of money
1888
Mall (Great City Bazaar)
An aggregation of shops under one roof.
1899
Automatic Valet
A robotic manservant.
1899
Electric-Automatic Household Robot Cook
A robot chef - an Electric-Automatic Household Beneficent Genius!
1899
Individualized Clothing Manufacture
A device that will produce suits of clothing based on measurement data gathered.
1899
Electric-Automatic Housemaid Robot (Automaton)
A very early description of a robot to help around the house.
1899
Automatic Door
A wall strip that rolls up automatically to let you through.
1899
Town In One Building
This is the basic idea behind an arcology, or other single structure that is intended to provide living space and mall.
1901
Homeworld (Home-World)
One's planet of origin.
1909
The Machine
A single vast contrivance that supplied all the needs of the world's millions of solitary inhabitants.
1909
The Book of the Machine
The only book needed for life in the vast Machine.
1909
Machine Apartment
Each person lives isolated in their own room, supported by a vast planetary machine.
1912
Automated Restaurant
Food is prepared and served entirely automatically.
1920
Living Metal Cubes
Tiny metal cubes and pyramids that work together to create larger shapes.
1921
Phonographic Locks
Doors that open using voice recognition.
1925
Quadraturin
Substance that creates more space when applied to walls, floors and ceilings.
1926
Gyro-Hat
Hidden in a top hat, this device cures staggering and reeling, for whatever reason.
1929
Local Time Clock
A clock for use in airships that always indicates the time for the place they are flying over.
1929
Sunparlor
A vast esplanade enclosed in glass, to permit sunbathing without leaving an immense building.
1929
Inurbanity (Inurbane)
Criminal penalties for persons who are unable to behave properly in crowded cubic cities.
1930
Rubber Soled Feet
Silent padding for clanky robots.
1930
Air-Shoes
Footgear provides the wearer with the ability to "walk" through the air, climbing as needed.
1930
Theater Seat Indicators
Vacant seats are clearly shown.
1931
Robot Vending Machine
Machinery displaces news boys selling papers on street corners.
1931
Stationary Sidewalk
A sidewalk that is fixed permanently in one location; not a sliding walkway.
1931
Pneumatic Tube Station
Passengers are sealed into a narrow cylinder that is shot through a pressurized tube to their destination.
1931
Dressing Machines
Semi-autonomous guided devices that could dress a person in ordinary clothing.
1931
Ownership of Machines
Who will own the machines that produce material abundance?
1931
Conveyor Ribbon
A moving sidewalk.
1932
Rigid Metallic Clothing
An early exoskeleton.
1932
Scent-Organ
A device that output specified odors.
1932
Conveyor
A great moving belt carrying people between cities.
1932
Pent House
An island in the sky - a hermetically sealed skyscraper isolated entirely from its surroundings.
1932
Pneumatic-Tube Zone
The portion of a city that is served by direct tubes to each dwelling.
1932
Centrifugal Bumble-Puppy
Futuristic children's game.
1933
Human Serial Number
A unique number tattooed on body of a person.
1934
Credit
A basic unit of currency.
1935
Electric Menu
Ordering of food is automated, without waiters.
1936
Vitrisheen
A translucent glass-like fashion choice.
1938
Vacuum-Cupped Sandals
Used for walking in weightless environments.
1938
Multispecies Hotel
A hotel set up to serve beings from different planets.
1939
Pleasure Planet
A vast world devoted to enjoyment.
1939
Electrical Valet
A robotic manservant, skilled in dressing its owner.
1939
Metal Desk Car
A combination work desk and vehicle for librarians and researchers; part desk part carnival ride.
1939
Barber Helmet
Cuts your hair quickly and efficiently.
1940
Telelubricator
Makes any surface or substance perfectly frictionless.
1940
Silk-Metal
A very tough fabric.
1940
Radium-Action Lighter
A personal device used to ignite tobacco products.
1940
Knockdown Cabin
A portable shelter; had solid walls and could be assembled quickly.
1940
Air Blast
An air dryer for personal use.
1940
Refreshing Chamber
Replaces the bathroom in the future history of Robert Heinlein.
1940
Floating Villa
An artificial island several acres in extent.
1941
Automated Hotel Reservation
A hotel that did not use clerks; a self-service hotel.
1941
Slidewalk
A moving sidewalk; a conveyor belt for people.
1941
Instant Customized Clothing
A machine that produced a selected item of clothing, on the spot, based on customer demand.
1941
Fresher
Short for "refreshing chamber,", it is the future of personal hygiene technology.
1941
Atmospherics Switchboard
Make sure each hotel room has the right atmosphere from the right planet.
1941
Robopark
An automated parking garage.
1941
Self-Lighting Cigarette
A cigarette with a matchhead built in.
1941
Magnetized Boots
Special shoes to allow walking in and around a metal ship with no artificial gravity.
1941
Alterable License Number
A device which permits a driver to alter the license plate without leaving the vehicle.
1942
Capillotomer
An automatic shaving machine
1942
Slideway
A slidewalk, or moving walkway, that moves people forward.
1943
Adjustable House
A house with elastic walls and structural members, the shape of which can be changed.
1943
Pneumo-Slacks
Pants that make you look beefier.
1943
Plastibulb
A squeezable drink container.
1945
Sleeve Communicator
An electronic device controller built into clothing.
1947
Self-Opening Box
Don't show this to Apple.
1948
Memory Hole
A receptacle for unwanted documents.
1949
Shari
A multipurpose net worn as clothing.
1949
Fresher
Short for 'refreshing chamber', a device that performs various personal services.
1949
Three Generation Work (Century Piece)
An artwork created by three consecutive generations of artists, in exactly one century.
1949
Self-Igniter
A self-lighting cigarette.
1950
Automatic Light Switch
A device that senses if an illuminated room is empty, and turns off the light.
1950
Computer-Controlled House
A residence that is an autonomous robotic system.
1950
Earther
A person born on planet Earth.
1950
Robotic Dishwasher
A fully automated solution to the dishwashing problem.
1951
Metal Foil Advertisement
An advertising circular made out of metal.
1951
Finger Watch
A ring that contains a working timepiece and a display.
1951
Sun-Room
On a planet-wide city, the only way to get some sun without going to the roof.
1951
Booklegger
A smuggler of books.
1951
Self-Adjusting Furniture
Automatic adjustment for a perfect fit.
1951
Happylife Home
An automated multi-media home, which provided the good life to its inhabitants.
1951
Suction Mail Tube
An evacuated tube system carrying mail to residences.
1951
Movable Slideway
A slideway (moving sidewalk) that can be extended to a spaceship to ease the debarkation process.
1952
Hydropathic bed
A heated bed that used something more comfortable than water.
1952
Airplane Window Ads
An airplane window that allows you to - see advertisements!
1952
Solar-powered Prefab House
A pre-built house that can live off the grid.
1952
Wall-Light
The walls of a room provide illumination.
1952
Spray-On Gloves
Fashionable evening gloves that are sprayed onto the hand and arm.
1952
Spray-On Clothing Web
A 'web' clothing foundation that can be sprayed on and then molded by a couturier.
1952
Light Absorbing/Emitting Ink
Ink that can absorb light and then emit it in a burst for advertising purposes.
1953
Buttered Toast Robot
What it says on the tin.
1953
Self-Sufficient House
A single family residence that required no surrounding infrastructure.
1953
Sideglance Robe
A dress that is invisible or opaque, depending on how you look at it.
1953
Parlor Wall (TV Parlor)
The original "big screen TV" takes up an entire wall of a room.
1953
Automatic Ticket Machine
Get your ticket to Trantor automatically.
1953
Travel-Rug
A rug that conveyed you around your house.
1954
Dermal-Mist Spray
Very refreshing for suburbanites.
1954
Maid-Robot
A mechanical automaton does the work of a lady's maid.
1954
Plastirobe
A dress that varies in opacity by distance.
1954
Mecho-Clothing
Apparel created entirely by machines.
1954
Human Quarter
A ghetto for human beings; in this case, in a world of robots.
1954
Pod-Chair
A living chair, grown by the Iszc to perform its function.
1954
Consumption Robots
Humanoid robots placed in the position of consuming material goods to relieve human beings of the burden.
1954
Finger Jet Bath
The ultimate in luxury tubs.
1954
Polarized Window
Rather than curtains, use the window to control the light.
1955
Mechavalet
An entirely automated dressing assistant.
1955
Magnetic Grapple-Beams
Short range magnetic field to guide flying cars and park them properly.
1955
Dashboard TV
A television placed in the dashboard of your car or similar vehicle.
1956
Hired Girl Robot
The amazing floor-cleaning robot!
1956
Window-Willie
A robot that cleaned windows by electrostatic repulsion of dust and grime.
1956
Bounce Tube
A people-sized pneumatic tube system used for short, quick trips in the vertical dimension.
1956
Living Advertising Character
Modifying an ordinary person to create a living likeness of a company's brand symbol or character.
1957
Mechanical Cleaning Device
A small, ground-based autonomous robot doing basic janitorial work.
1958
Pressurized Penthouse
A stratospheric perch - if buildings are tall enough, you'll need this.
// TECHNOLOGY–
SECRETS–
WORTH-SHARING
PUBLISHED
18.04.21
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