7 examples of great technology that is improving lives

In the digital age, staying focused can be a challenge. We are bombarded with notifications and being constantly plugged in can be exhausting. The concept of a “digital detox” has emerged as a necessary form of self-care. It’s no wonder, then, that technology sometimes gets a bad rap. But is technology really to blame? 

We believe technology can be a force for good. Great technology does exist and it is made for people, by people, to solve real human needs. Read on as we celebrate seven pieces of great technology and explore how they are improving lives. 

 

1. Bounce

Bounce is an app that empowers users to improve their mental health through evidence-based exercises inspired by positive psychology.

Using Bounce can help people to build mental resilience and regulate their emotions. It also offers exercises that enable people to connect with those around them more effectively in real life. 

2. Headspace 

Headspace is an app that teaches people to meditate so that they can better manage stress and get a good night’s sleep.

The popular app offers tutorials tackling various areas of wellbeing and guided meditations that even the busiest among us can fit into our schedule. It also provides SOS exercises that people can use if they are in crisis.

3. FreeStyle Libre

FreeStyle Libre is the first diabetes app that enables people to manage the condition without using painful finger prick blood tests throughout the day. 

The revolutionary healthcare app allows users to wave a reader over a small sensor on their arm. This checks their current blood sugar level and shows them how it has changed over the past eight hours.

4. AUDREY 

AUDREY, which stands for Assistant for Understanding Data through Reasoning, Extraction and sYnthesis, is an inspiring example of how AI can be used to save lives.

Designed by NASA, AUDREY uses AI to collect temperature data and identify signs of danger in burning buildings. It uses this information to guide firefighters through fires, showing them the safest route to take. This helps firefighters to stay safe and rescue more people.

5. DJI Search and Rescue Drones 

Drones may seem like fancy toys for the wealthy or budding film makers, but, like AUDREY, they too have the potential to save lives.

Research by DJI, a leading maker of unmanned aerial vehicles, found that drones used for search and rescue have saved at least 59 people from danger in recent years.

A third of these people were saved by drones owned by civilians, suggesting that increased drone ownership could improve public safety.

6. Haptics-Enabled Robot 

The Haptics-Enabled Robot (HER) is changing the way doctors diagnose patients. Designed by researchers at Deakin University, this great technology allows medical professionals to give people an ultrasound remotely.

HER empowers doctors to offer healthcare to people in remote villages and regions that were once at the mercy of poorly equipped local hospitals. 

7. 3D Printing

3D printing has a number of uses. One of the most exciting is in healthcare. Doctors have used 3D printing to model and produce a skull patch to treat a person with a head injury.

Research is ongoing but scientists believe 3D printing could soon be used to print more complex human body parts. For example, kidneys or blood vessels.

Takeaway

Some of the ways we are encouraged to engage with technology may be detrimental for our mental health. The daily barrage of notifications can certainly be a stressful distraction. 

That said, social media and digital marketing are only two of the many ways modern technology can be used. There are hundreds of examples of how technology can improve lives. This article has explored just seven and there are plenty more out there to discover. 

Great technology is technology which is designed to meet human needs. It is not a distraction but an asset. This type of technology has the power to change the way people live for the better; to boost both physical and mental health and protect us from danger. 

There has never been a more exciting time to work in technology. Our professional development courses can give you the skills and confidence needed to climb the ladder. Get in touch with our expert career consultants today.