There is often a moment in sci-fi movies when the audience collectively decides that they want a piece of technology the movie features. This technology can range from high-tech communication devices to impressive and deadly weapons.
In an effort to connect with these innovative ideas, movie technology has helped shape the course that real technology takes. Lovers of sci-fi have been watching these movies for years, dissecting the science behind the most advanced technology and coolest gadgets the characters have. Some of these devices stand out more than others, and some have even found their way into our real, everyday lives.
OASIS VR Set - Ready Player One
Despite the many iterations of movies or TV shows explaining why an immersive virtual reality simulation would be a bad idea, people continue to be obsessed with the idea.
Ready Player One's VR set is the definition of immersive, with tools that allow full-body sensory within the game and add-on pieces of technology that go so far as to allow physical walking or smell to be included while playing. The VR headset is an impressive gadget, with a lot of power packed into a fairly small machine.
Esper Machine - Blade Runner
The Esper Machine is a voice-activated photo enhancement machine that is in the 1982 movie Blade Runner. The Esper Machine is not only a very convenient gadget to have around, but also essential to the plot of the movie.
This seems like pretty common technology, but the Esper Machine takes it to the next level, with enhancements that are far beyond the current scope of photo editing, let alone the level of magnification on a printed picture in the 1980s.
Proton Pack - Ghostbusters
"Don't let the streams cross!"
The fact that this statement is so recognized is proof enough of how popular Ghostbusters is. Proton Packs are partially responsible for the fame of the movie, as they are proof of the actual science behind this science fiction series.
More importantly, the Proton Packs were a lot of people's introductions to what science fiction technology could be. Ghostbusters was the first sci-fi movie for a lot of people, and the Proton Pack became an instant staple because of that. The Proton Packs are also a cool bit of science that encouraged a lot of deeper thinking regarding movie gadgets.
Arc Reactor - Iron Man
Tony Stark, stuck in a cave, with no feasible way of escape, managed to invent one of the most, if not the most, advanced pieces of technology in the Iron Man.
Even if the origin of the Arc Reactor is ignored, the ingenuity of the technology is impossible to deny. The Arc Reactor serves as an almost unlimited power source, which is something people can only dream of today. Along with an implanted life- system, the Reactor powers a weapons system and an A.I. The list of people who wish for an Arc Reactor is a mile long.
Grappling Hook - Batman Begins
Really, all of Batman's utilities could justifiably be called 'the best'. However, none of Batman's devices are quite as iconic as the bat-shaped grappling hook that as saved Batman and Robin from many sticky situations.
The simplicity is what sets Batman's grappling hook apart from the advanced, futuristic gadgets many movies utilize. It is a simple idea with a straight-forward function. This makes it the perfect tool to emphasize Bruce Wayne's status as a mere mortal to the audience, while establishing Batman's mysteriousness to the villains and citizens of Gotham.
Hoverboard - Back to the Future II
Despite the impressive technology that Doc creates in the form of the DeLorean Time Machine, everyone who watches Back to the Future II wants a hoverboard.
Years have ed since Back to the Future II predicted the world would get hoverboards in 2015. Still, people hold out hope that these machines are in the near future. Hoverboards are an amazing piece of equipment that seem well within the realm of possibility. It's an exciting thought and an iconic part of the series. And hoverboards are just really cool!
Web Shooters - The Amazing Spider-Man
In an effort to distance The Amazing Spiderman from its 2002 counterpart, artificial web shooters were added to the character design instead of organic web fluid that shot from the wrist.
Everybody from little kids who watch Spiderman cartoons, to adults that deeply analyze all the live-action movies have probably mimicked shooting webs from an imaginary web gun on their wrist. The sheer timelessness of the web shooters prove they are among one of the best sci-fi gadgets out there. They have survived as an integral part of Spiderman's character and ignited the imagination of so many people.
Communicator - Star Trek
In 1979, the first Star Trek movie proudly displayed the wrist-worn communicators, which, in later movies, would be changed to a hand-held device. These small gadgets are like cellphones that can connect with similar devices across space.
While these are not exactly a vast improvement from technology today, the idea of communicating across planets was a big jump. Hand-held prototype of cell phones had been invented, but the first cell phone wouldn't be available to the public for four years. Even now, the idea of a communicator so powerful is a dream for a lot of people.
Lightsabers - Star Wars
It would be a hard task to find someone who has seen Star Wars and doesn't want a lightsaber. Just the sound of a lightsaber turning on will have people buzzing in excitement.
Powered by Kyber crystals and an innate connection to the Force, lightsabers will never be able to exist in our time. That hasn't stopped people from trying to cultivate the technology to make a lightsaber feasible. They are, quite possibly, the most iconic weapon in all of science fiction, and definitely one of the coolest inventions in movie history.
