Top Trends from SXSW Interactive Conference

South by Southwest held their yearly Interactive Conference this past May.  Thousands of tech industry leaders gathered to talk about the most groundbreaking trends among technology that are rising in today’s  society.

From smart-bandaids to flying robots (3D printing flying robots, to be exact), the technology that was presented at this years conference was definitely unlike any other. Below are the top trends that we thought were the most interesting.

Robots

Robots played a big role at this years SXSW conference. One popular attraction was the Robot Petting Zoo. Attendees were able to touch, operate and program robots. The petting zoo was sponsored by the SXSW Field Operating Team and aimed to show how robots have done remarkable work in disaster ridded areas by flying over these areas and collecting data. Some of the robots presented counld even fly while 3D printing. Visitors were able to interact with the robots and operate them.

Transportation

The car industry is undergoing dramatic changes and not just with self-driving cars. One trend displayed at this years SXSW conference was ride sharing platforms. Lyft is one of these services. Lyft was created by Logan Green in 2012 with the idea of a world with no traffic. Lyft is bringing carpooling to a whole new level. Lyft was launched after Logan became inspired while studying in Zimbabwe where carpooling is a common thing. He says that there is reduced traffic over there and aims to bring that same system to America and the world.

The Internet of Things

There was more than 70 sessions pertaining to the Internet of Things at this years SWSX. A lot of the sessions dealt with security issues. With the mass boom of online profiles, company’s will soon be dealing with security issues such as identify theft. Hackers are becoming more sophisticated as more and more information is becoming easily accessible. Government and companies will have to change their standards and regulations to protect the billions of user profiles that will be created. As the Internet of Things rises, so will the threats.

Social Media

Social media has played a huge role at the SXSW Interative Conference for a few years now. At this years conference, participants dove deep into the medium and discussed many issues that have risen with the mass explosion of social media. Researchers J.M. Berger and Jonathon Morgan discussed their findings for the Brookings Institution’s Project on U.S. Relations with the Islamic World.  They discussed how the terror group ISIS has used Twitter to deliver their message of hate and how they recruit candidates to join their terror group. Other presenters discussed different forms of cyberbullying and how to protect your business from internet trolls. There was also mention about the rise of copyright bullies and people who scan the internet looking to earn money

Wearable Tech

Wearable tech is quickly becoming a big trend in our society. From Apple’s new watch to Nike’s Fitbit bracelet, wearable tech is gaining major recognizing. Wearable technology is changing the world and not just in fashion. The ‘Extreme bionics’ session at this years SXSW explained the future of prosthetics. Dr. Hugh Herr and his team talked about how they developed a bionic foot for Boston Marathon survivor Adrianne Haslet-Davis after she lost part of her leg in the explosion. Herr and his team discussed the hurdles they faced on how they made communication with the brain. They explained how they transmitted tiny pulses of light into the brain, nerve regeneration and wiring hardware directly into the human body. His team then used a synthetic shield to protect the body from infection. This is a great example of how far technology is traveling in our society. Wearable technology will gain great momentum from 2015 and on.

REFERENCES

http://sxsw.com/interactive/2015-trends

http://mashable.com/2015/03/18/sxsw-interactive-trends/

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