Minority Report-style headsets and AI pet interpreters are also among the futuristic inventions set to transform our lives next year, according to a report by Lightbringer
Smart toilets, Minority Report-style headsets and AI pet interpreters are among science-fiction-like inventions set to transform our lives in 2026, a new study shows.
The analysis of patents filed this year gives a snapshot of forthcoming technology, which also includes a mobile 3D printer and a “perfume particle booster”.
But perhaps not to be sniffed at is a new smart toilet that picks up where TV diet expert Gillian McKeith left off in TV show You Are What You Eat with her controversial analysis of guests’ poo.
The report said: “The device scans your waste and uses the information it gleans to track your nutrition and general health, and alert you of anything that’s not right. It’s also self-cleaning.”
However, patent firm Lightbringer’s top 10 tech crowns a Doctor Dolittle-style artificial intelligence pet translator as next year’s No1 advance. Its report said: “This patent is for an AI system that attempts to interpret pet emotions based on vocal, behavioural and biometric signals.
“Using deep learning, it translates your pet’s actions into a form humans can understand, based on genuine veterinary expertise and cognitive research.”
It described a patent filed by Apple for augmented reality goggles as similar to the swipe-tech glasses worn by Tom Cruise as ‘Precrime’ cop John Anderton in the hit 2002 sci-fi movie.
The study said: “This futuristic consumer tech patent would allow the user, through the donning of a headset or AR glasses to point at connected objects around their house and control them using eye and hand movements. So theoretically you could look at a connected lamp or smart TV on the other side of the room and then swipe with your hand to turn it off or on.”
The US Navy has lodged a patent application for a “field 3D printer” that enables on-demand production of spare parts and components for vehicles, drones and weapon systems in combat environments.
While Nintendo has created a tool for summoning Pokémon characters in the popular video game, Tesla will soon recycle electric car batteries and Samsung has a smart posture detector that keeps folk upright.
Top 10 tech set to change our lives in 2026:
1. AI pet translator
2. Minority Report-style glasses
3. Pokémon summoning tool
4. Recycled car batteries
5. Smart delivery robot
6. Smart toilet
7. Perfume particles booster
8. Generative AI for videogames
9. Military 3D field printer
10. Smart posture detector
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