Self-driving cars? What to expect from the world of technology in 2016
NEW YORK (WABC) -- 2015 brought new innovations in everything from wireless streaming to watches that help you workout. So what can we expect from the tech world in 2016?
We headed to Stanford University where it's being dreamed up as we speak. What do engineering students think will roll out next?
"When you're commuting to work will you be in a self-driving car?", we asked one student. "Eventually, probably yeah. Right now it's a little bit scary," he said.
They see the Google driverless car tooling around campus, so they think it's right around the corner. And they're right.
Big car brands have plans for autonomous driving elements in 2016. A huge wild card: could Apple be planning a car? They've filed a bunch of automotive patents.
"They will appear first in environments that are low speed and controlled. Industrial campuses, downtowns and the like, but nearly self-driving cars are already here," said Stanford futurist Paul Saffo.
On the fun side, "Virtual reality is going to dominate the world," said one student.
Gaming will see new forays into this space. And we're already seeing 360 degree video that makes sense without the weird virtual reality goggles.
Soon to be a reality: room service robots. The technology is here, but a word of warning from a Stanford teacher.
"Human beings are becoming obsolete," he said. "There will be a time when there are no more jobs, because everything is being done by machines, which is very scary actually."
Lightning round on a few projects: Drones you wear? That's cool.
Amazon delivery drones..also cool, but not happening until we get some significant legislation on these things.
With tech titans revolutionizing consumer space travel, it's the new frontier all over again.
"In a very short period of time, the very rich will pay absolutely exorbitant sums for a couple of minutes of low earth orbit," said Saffo.
How about a new iPhone 7..but why not break the naming convention? "The u-Phone," one student suggested.
And many students want unbreakable glass for their next iPhone..or is it uPhone?
