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Bionic man shows us the future

Pets will book your holidays - Buildings will go down - not up - Computer will replace brain

THE bionic man will be possible in 20 years and will live with us in underground cities, seeking comfort from artificial pets that cater for every wish, according to a report published yesterday, writes Robert Uhlig, Technology Correspondent.

Ian Pearson, BT's Applied Research and Technologies' futurologist, has produced a list of 300 emerging technologies that are expected to reach fruition and change social habits in the early years of the next century.

Doctors have already said that they can use artificial muscle for heart surgery and, according to the report, patients will be receiving man-made blood and pancreas transplants within two years.

In 10 years we will all be carrying personal health monitors to warn us before we become ill.

The report predicts a bionic man with artificial legs by 2015, with more complicated organs - senses, lungs, kidneys and liver - possible by 2030. An artificial brain will be developed within 40 years.

"We already know that, because of advances in processing speed and memory storage, computers will be more intelligent and creative than man by 2015. Shortly after that, artificial intelligence technology will be able to imitate the thinking processes of the brain," said Dr Pearson.

"We can already measure simple thought patterns. By 2025 we will be able to read what the brain is thinking and feed information into it to supersede learning. Ten years later, we should be able to miniaturise all these technologies so that a computer the size of the brain, but more powerful and able to control the human body, could be used in brain transplants."

Artificial cats and dogs will be introduced by 2010 to replace computers, said Dr Pearson. He already has an electronic cat at home. "It would not take much to add robotic legs and a furry covering, and replace the insides with a radio link to a powerful computer. The pet could then become your link to the global information superhighway.

"It could be your personal butler, sorting out your flights and holiday arrangements, book taxis and theatres, do your home shopping and sort out your taxes and accounts," said Dr Pearson. "The rest of the time it would be a cute family pet."

Rising property prices could mean that it becomes necessary to build as far below ground as we now build above it.

"Property values in Tokyo are so high that the Japanese are looking at underground buildings that go down 10 or 15 floors. By 2020 we could have complete underground cities," said Dr Pearson.

Before moving into underground homes, we will be living in houses serviced by robotic butlers and with computerised appliances that can tell our desires from our gestures and body-language. Researchers at BT's Martlesham Laboratories have already developed a computer that can tell whether a person is happy or sad from facial expressions, and that recognises yes and no by a person's head nodding or shaking.

"Within a year or two we will be talking to our fridges," said Dr Pearson. "Many people already stick paper messages to fridges. We have been working on an e-mail pager with a magnet on the back. You can leave a message on or send a voice-mail message to it by telephone."

For the predictions to become reality, commercial interests need to be overcome. For example, it is not in the interest of electricity companies to promote advances that are making solar cells cheaper and more efficient, said Dr Pearson.