From laser swords to powered suits to x-ray goggles, science fiction is loaded up with all kinds of neat technologies. Here's a few of the coolest and neatest of all the wierd gizmos and gadgets from popular sci-fi!
Flying Cars (Blade Runner)
Flying cars are a common mainstay of much science fiction, but the cars from Blade Runner are probably the coolest. It’s a shame they’re probably quite unfeasible in real life.
Pasiv Dream Machine (Inception)
This neat little device from the dream-within-a-dream-within-a-dream heist film Inception helps administer the drugs needed for individuals to join each other within the same dream.
Replicators (Star Trek)
Ah, the good ol’ replicator. This piece of technology is capable of assembling almost any kind of object through manipulation of subatomic particles. Or in simpler terms, it takes raw matter and can turn it into a grilled cheese sandwich in mere seconds. Just try not to think about where it gets all that raw matter, though.
Sonic Screwdriver (Doctor Who)
Other than the odd fact that it doesn’t work on wood, the Doctor’s Sonic Screwdriver is a multifunctional tool that’s capable of doing, well, just about anything. From disarming weapons, scanning for life signs, operating computers, modifying cell phones, controlling the TARDIS, or even something as simple of lighting a candle, the sonic screwdriver can just about do it all.
Scramble Suit (A Scanner Darkly)
This trippy device from Philip K. Dick’s dystopian novel is used by law enforcement agents to remain anonymous. This suit projects a multitude of ever changing facial and physical features, making it impossible for anyone to get a clear idea of who just may be wearing it.
Tricorder (Star Trek)
Another commonly seen gadget from Star Trek, the tricorder is a hand-held device used by Starfleet. Generally used to scan one’s environment and collect scientific data, the tricorder can rely information on nearby life signs, hazards, chemicals, and a whole bunch of other technobabble.
X-Ray Glasses (The World Is Not Enough)
No sci-fi gizmo list would be complete without mentioning X-Ray glasses, like the version worn by James Bond in The World is Not Enough.
Babel Fish (Hitchhiker’s Guide)
Technically more a living creature than a device, the Babel fish is a small, yellow like animal that feeds on brain waves after being placed in your ear canal. In return, it telepathically allows you to understand just about anything said to you in any form of language instantly. Even horrible, horrible poetry!
Gestural Interface (Minority Report)
This is a sci-fi tech that hopefully we’ll get to see soon in modern everyday use, letting us operate our computers and surf the web with just a flick of our wrist. Unfortunately, as Microsoft’s Kinect is any indication, there’s still a bunch of glitches we’ll have to work out.
VISOR (Star Trek: The Next Generation)
Short for Visual Instrument and Sensory Organ Replacement, this gizmo allows people who were born blind or lost their sight to see electromagnetic signals. It also lets them a much wider visual spectrum then the average human, granting some minor superpowers like the ability to see if someone’s lying.
Light Saber (Star Wars)
A laser sword of unimaginable power, the Star Wars lightsaber is weapon of a more civilized age, when honor, ceremony, and the ability to cut through just about everything in your path were more important than a good blaster at your side.
Thermoptic Camouflage (Ghost in the Shell)
This fancy technology from popular anime series Ghost in the Shell essentially allows the user to blend in near-perfectly with their surroundings.
Hoverboard (Back to the Future 2)
It’s a floating skateboard! A floating skateboard!
Explosive Gum (Mission Impossible)
Say, are you a spy and want to play the worst practical joke ever on a hapless guard? Give them some explosive gum!
Iron Man Suit (Iron Man)
Probably a bit too big to be just a mere gizmo, the Iron Man suit worn by the Marvel superhero Tony Stark is defintiely one heck of a gadget. Capable of flight, loaded with all kinds of scanners and powerful energy beams, the Iron Man suit is an impressive piece of hardware.
Mr. Fusion (Back To The Future)
This little device has a great deal more practical applications that providing power to time machines. I mean, it's essentially a nuclear power generator that can use garbage for fuel. If it really existed, it would solve so many energy problems all over the world!
Hypospray (Star Trek)
Forget phasers, disruptor rifles or photon torpedos, the hypospray is by far the most deadly, efficient weapon in all of Star Trek. This medical device is primarily used to inject liquids into the body without the use of a needle, but is capable of injecting through clothing and other materials. It’s silent, small, and innocent looking, and the perfect way to put an enemy guard to sleep silently and quickly.