5 Emerging Technologies That Will Redefine The Post Covid-19 World
Despite our scientific and technological advancements, scientists are yet to find a definite cure for coronavirus, however, one can’t refute the fact that it’s modern technology only which has come to our rescue in these trying times. Technology has played a crucial role by offering solutions to overcome the challenges thrown by the pandemic and has been instrumental in keeping the society functional in the face of the necessitated worldwide lockdowns.
Digital readiness has helped businesses to sustain, aided educational institutes to complete their curriculum and also made it possible for almost everything to be brought at our doorstep with contactless e-commerce strategies. Furthermore, smart devices, deployment of robotics, AI-based chatbots, and technologically-driven healthcare tools, have further eased the pressure in this crisis.
What’s more, these technology trends are bound to have a lasting impact even when the pandemic finally sees its end. Experts believe that as we slowly start adapting to the new normal, technology will continue to play an important part in our lives. Here, we have listed some of the emerging technology trends that will redefine the post-COVID-19 world…
Internet of Things (IoT)
Our life has become pretty easy going, courtesy our smart devices, especially during this pandemic they have been the saviours in most households. Furthermore, with the onset of COVID-19, there has been a surge in the innovation of many such smart devices which are connected to the Internet. While IoT solutions are already being used in the healthcare sector, some analyst believes that in the post-pandemic world, IoT will enable us to predict and treat health issues with smart devices that shall keep track of our health. As per a report by statista.com, in 2019 there were about 26 billion IoT devices and by 2025 there will be about 75.44 IoT devices that will make the quality of life better and comfortable.
Robotics
In the post-pandemic world, whether you like it or not robots are going to become a part of our day to day lives. With social distancing and no human-to-human contact becoming the new norm, robotic technology is already taking several industries by storm. Many companies like Walmart are dealing with the COVID-19 challenge by using robots to scrub and disinfect the floors, while some have successfully used robotics to deliver packages without physical contact during this outbreak. Automated robots have even assisted healthcare professional to carry out diagnostic processes like measure temperatures and collect samples, during this pandemic. A report published in the Science Robotics emphasised on robots having the potential to be deployed for disinfection, delivering medications and food, measuring vital signs, and assisting border controls. So, don’t be surprised to see a steady rise in robotics technology in the post COVID world.
Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality
With the world going through several phases of lockdowns and self-quarantine during the coronavirus outbreak, AR and VR technologies emerged as heroes that helped us explore through virtual travel, kept us entertained, assisted our shopping spree and enabled us to stay connected even though the world had shut down. That’s not all, several industries like healthcare, architecture, education, retail among others have also adopted the VR/AR technologies during this pandemic. According to a Coresight’s report, the AR and VR technologies are all set to play a huge role in the retail industry in the future.
5G Networks
The one thing that has kept the world from completely falling apart during this pandemic is undeniably the network connectivity. With offices across the globe embracing the ‘work from home’ policy during this pandemic, people have understood the need for good connectivity. Moving forward, the 5G network is going to be the next-gen ruling network and is sure to take over the entire mobile industry. While 5G mobile data networks have existed since 2019, they were not used by everyone due to its expensive plans. However, according to a Huawei Technology vision, super-fast and affordable 5G mobile data networks are likely to be made available in the market soon. In fact, it is believed that because of its super-fast download and upload speeds (five times faster than 4G capabilities), 5G networks will actually be used more than wired networks at home and offices.
Artificial Intelligence (AI)
Unlike 5G network, Artificial Intelligence also known as machine intelligence has been around for years, however, during the COVID-19 outbreak, the technology has now gained newfound popularity. AI is based on computer science research that looks at how to imitate the workings of human intelligence and uses powerful algorithms that digest large amounts of data to identify patterns. While most companies turned to AI-powered chatbots to provide customer support in this time of crisis, one also saw its application in education, finance and healthcare sector. In fact, China even reported the benefits of AI as a crisis management tool. Apparently, China, with the help of AI was able to identify patterns from big data, support their health systems and control the spread. The AI was also applied in radiology technologies in China which helped speed up the diagnosis of large numbers of patients with the novel Coronavirus. Post Covid-19, one is likely to see AI applications aid various sectors to adapt to the new normal.
