Past predictions of future technology were often way off the mark (hover cars and food in pill form come to mind). But a Tomorrow's World video from 1987 has been shared that is impressively accurate – after a shaky start involving a temperature adapting business suit.
With tech predictions ranging from fingerprint sensors to portable printers (well, a fax machine, but it's pretty close), there's a lot that's recognisable here (and all in the design aesthetic of the best retro games consoles). Shared by Instagram user fishfry0, it's garnered a lot of positive responses, with users commenting on the smartwatches, keys and VR headset. I've shared the slightly longer YouTube version below (uploaded by Boson TV). Note the under-the-tongue health sensors that can be recognised in our modern smartwatches. Take a look for yourself below.
What's striking is the '80s design aesthetic, which shines through the tech created with the future in mind. But perhaps that makes it more relatable, the tech (and fashion) design predictions look incremental from the video's time context rather than being a leap forward into some sci-fi-influenced future of robots and pseudo-futurism. Design trends are somewhat unpredictable that far in the future, so the producers of Tomorrow's World (a BBC TV program) kept with what they knew.
The crossover between digital and print is an interesting stumbling point – they didn't predict just how far away from paper we would come, as evidenced by that fax machine in a suitcase.
Want to see the whole documentary series? Head over to YouTube. For more time travel see this video game that propels you back to 2002 London.
