1. Oculus Rift Virtual Reality Device:
It won’t let you bend spoons or stop bullets, yet, but the Oculus has brought us substantially closer to living in the Matrix. It’s not going to wow anyone on the runway with its bulky headset and accompanying wires, but the experience of wearing one is undeniably spectacular.
Applications to Travel: Luxury travel advisors will be able to show their clients exactly what their suite, first-class cabin, or 360 degree view will look like before they book the trip.
2. Amazon Echo Artificial Intelligence:
We no longer have to journey to a galaxy far, far away for technology that makes traveling more convenient. The Amazon Echo (a.k.a. Alexa) can remind you to make reservations at Epicure and let you know if you’ll need a jacket to visit the Eiffel Tower tomorrow. Leveraging the power of Amazon servers, Echo recognizes and responds to inquiries. Although its capability to understand 99+ languages is slightly under that of C-3P0, the Amazon Echo is the AI travelers are looking for.
Applications to Travel: Imagine an Amazon Echo in every hotel room as the front-line concierge, with personalized knowledge of each guest’s needs.
