Inventions have always caused upheavals in society, and the recent years have been no exception. Technology continued to transform our homes, workplace, transportation, business, and medicine over the past decade.
To find the most important inventions in the last decade, 24/7 Tempo referenced sources such as Popular Mechanics, Digital Trends, among other sources. Many inventions on this list may have been invented more than a decade ago, but their impact has been impacting society in the last decade.
From nest thermostats to video doorbells to robot vacuum cleaners, the future has become present in our homes. The Snoo Smart Sleeper became a hot item in 2016 among young parents. It’s a smart bassinet that replicates the motions of a womb and helps stop infants from accidentally rolling over. The day is fast approaching when semi-autonomous cars will convey us between home and work.
And speaking of work, Apple iPads have replaced the laptop and metal 3D printing has stepped up production and lowered the cost of customization products.
In business, transactions have been accelerated by products such as Square and Venmo. Some companies are using facial recognition technology to improve security.
Nowhere has technology made more of an impact than in medicine. Crispr is a gene-editing system that expels the DNA strands that cause disease and replaces them with beneficial ones. The hemopurifier has been a godsend to disease-plagued Africa. It uses a specially designed cartridge that attaches to a dialysis machine and removes the Ebola virus from blood. Bioprinting uses traditional 3D printing technology but this process can produce living tissue.
Blue Origin and SpaceX, founded by Jeff Bezos and Elon Musk, respectively, are pioneering the use of reusable rockets that can reduce the cost of space travel. (On the other hand, here is a list of 10 inventors who regretted creating their invention.)
Apple iPad
- What is it: A device that basically replaced the laptop
- Inventor: Jonathan Ive and others
Atlas
ARLINGTON, VA - APRIL 22: U.S. Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel (L) is shown the ATLAS Robot that has recently completed testing at the DARPA Robotics Challenge at the Pentagon on April 22, 2014 in Arlington, Virginia. Secretary Hagel visited Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) exhibits to see cutting edge technology first hand and how they contribute to U.S. national security. (Photo by Mark Wilson/Getty Images)
- What is it: Humanoid able to do maneuvers the way humans do
- Inventor: Boston Dynamics
Bioprinting
- What is it: A technology that is basically an extension of traditional 3D printing but it can produce living tissue
- Inventor: Glenn Green and others
Crispr
- What is it: Gene-editing system that removes undesired strands of DNA that cause disease and replaces them with new ones
- Inventor: Jennifer Doudna
Facial recognition technology
- What is it: A way of identifying and confirming a person’s identity; adds a layer of biometric security
- Inventor: Woody Bledsoe, Helen Chan Wolf, and Charles Bisson
Hemopurifier
- What is it: A device that uses a specially designed cartridge that attaches to a dialysis machine and in effect sucks the ebola virus from blood
- Inventor: Aethlon Medical Inc.
James Webb Space Telescope
- What is it: The largest optical telescope in space — an infrared telescope that’s more sensitive than the Hubble
- Inventor: Northrop Grumman
Metal 3D printing
- What is it: A device that accelerates production and makes customization more cost-effective
- Inventor: Chuck Hull
Nest thermostat
- What is it: A device that allows users to preprogram a temperature schedule; it can tell whether someone is home and adjust accordingly
- Inventor: Former Apple engineers Tony Fadell and Matt Rogers
OraQuick
- What is it: At-home test for HIV virus
- Inventor: OraQuick
Pillpack
- What is it: An online pharmacy that delivers pills every two weeks, broken down by different times of the day
- Inventor: T.J. Parker
Powerwall
- What is it: Compact home battery that stores solar energy for backup protection
- Inventor: Tesla
Reusable rockets
- What is it: Rockets that can be reused and reduce cost of space travel
- Inventor: Blue Origin/SpaceX
Ringly
- What is it: A ring that can be programmed to glow when the wearer gets an important message
- Inventor: Christina Mercando
Roomba
- What is it: Robot vacuum cleaner
- Inventor: Eight roboticists at iRobot
Semi-autonomous vehicles
- What is it: Cars with features like self-steering and the ability to stay within lanes
- Inventor: Ernst Dickmanns
Smart speakers
- What is it: The device has the ability to answer questions and can light and heat up your home
- Inventor: Engineers at IBM and Google
Snoo Smart Sleeper
- What is it: A bassinet that mimics the motions of a womb; helps prevent infants from accidentally rolling over
- Inventor: Harvey Karp, Yves Béhar, and Deb Roy
Square
- What is it: A small device plugged into a smartphone or tablet that accepts card payments
- Inventor: Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey
Venmo
- What is it: An app that allows people to pay and charge each other money, all electronically
- Inventor: Iqram Magdon-Ismail and Andrew Kortina
Video doorbell
- What is it: A device that records activity outside the home
- Inventor: Jamie Siminoff