Star Wars ‘future’ technology that’s now a reality
Photo Credit: Lucasfilm
Nine pieces of Star Wars future technology that are now a reality. These devices will blow your mind!
Science fiction makes dreamers out of us all, and Star Wars has been an inspiration now for over 40 years, more than long enough to spur on real developments in technology. While we’re still holding out for lightsabers, faster-than-light hyperspace hopping and Wookiee companions, we’re pretty happy with many of the tech that is now available or coming our way soon.
Like smart beds, which may or may not come with bacta tanks in the future. It’s hard to get a good night’s sleep on a cargo freighter. Oh, and is it really future tech if it’s from a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away?
Airspeeders
“Ever since the XP-38 came out, they just aren’t in demand.”
Who hasn’t dreamed of zipping over dunes on Tatooine or through the descending levels of Coruscant in a personal airpseeder? Ever since Luke sold his and hopped aboard the Millennium Falcon in Star Wars: A New Hope, we’ve been more than a bit jealous.
Now, however, we can live the dream thanks to the Moller Neura 200. This personal hovercraft has all the bells and whistles (minus any armaments) of a Star Wars airspeeder. Though, we doubt everyone’s favorite farmboy could afford the sticker price.
Moller M200X
Speeder Bikes
Photo Credit: Lucasfilm
“Where did you get that speeder?”
If a standard airspeeder looks more like a minivan to you, and you need some extra thrust while dodging trees and Ewoks, then a speeder bike from Star Wars: Return of the Jedi is the answer. Modern speeder bikes owe much to the hovercraft design of airspeeders, but it’s hard to deny the appeal.
Photo Credit: Lucasfilm
As with airspeeders, we’re still working the kinks out, but Aerofex has a model that seems to deliver almost everything we desire. It might even have a keyed lock to prevent space princesses and cannibal teddy bears from slicing our rides.
Jetpacks
“I’m not quitting now. Not when I’m so close.”
Our first real look at a jetpack came courtesy of Boba Fett in Return of the Jedi, and many of us have been in love ever since — mostly with the jetpack, I think. The idea of jetting around in a one-man flying machine has some real appeal that calls to some primal need in all of us. Having a rocket mount on the back is just the icing on the meiloorun.
Jetpack Aviation is making all of these dreams come true with its JB11 JetPack, no longer content with water-pumping hydro packs, this is the real deal. Once they get the controls into a handy wrist-mounted unit, we’re founding Death Watch on the moon.