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Sean Snyder

The Retro Future of Technology and Transportation

The future seemed so cool, what happened?

I stumbled across this video segment titled “Magic Highway USA.” Apparently it is an old Disneyland TV show segment about the technological future of human civilization (scroll to the bottom of this post to view the embedded video).

Over the course of watching it I realized that not much of the previously predicted future has come to fruition, though I did note about six technologies mentioned in this film short that do exist in our current reality.

1. Rear view cameras:

Once the thing of science fiction these rear view cameras exist in a series of cars. I actually drove a car equipped with one this past August when I rented a car in Ireland (it came in especially handy there considering I was confused by which shoulder to look over).

2. Automated Parking facilities:

Now these may not be entirely mainstream but I have read about a few facilities that offer these services (Automotion Parking Systems, Robotic Parking, etc.).

3. Moving Sidewalks:

I think that these devices are most prevalent in airports where the space between terminals is great and there is often a time constraint, but to place these things in malls just seems a little ridiculous. Maybe that’s because we now have the internet to shop from, which wasn’t known about by these retro futurists.

4. Punched Card Computers:

I hear they were big in the 60’s

5. Vehicles which have all the features of home:

Between RVs and newer minivans, this aspect has been pretty accurately predicted.

6. Tubular Highways:

Big Dig… Need I say more?

On the list of the technologies I wish were invented from this film is the “Sun Powered Electro-Suspension Car.” I guess we’ll just have to wait around for that one.

(via Next Nature)