2023 wrapped: Life-changing tech innovations

2. The smart fire stopper
The first half of 2023 had seen the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) respond to 967 fires, with over half having occurred in homes. You might think that a good ol’ sprinkler is enough to settle the situation, but that’s not the case! In fact, the brute force of the sprinklers deals more damage to the building interior, racking up hefty costs you’ll have to shoulder on top of your trauma. Instead, Plumis Automist scans and blankets the affected area with a concentrated blade of mist, dousing the flames 2-14 times faster while using 90% less water. Even smoke inhalation can be prevented with the danger extinguished so quickly!

3. The handy water damage blocker
Leaky toilets are living nightmares, consisting of at least 10% squandered water bills and ceiling leaks. For those facing leaky toilets, you might want to consider Water Automation aquaHALT! It is a shut-off valve system easily attached to your toilet’s water supply hose. This invention detects leaks and ceases water flow instantly, reducing water damage and insurance premiums to a new low just for you!

4. AI-powered smart cane
The growing ageing population in Singapore has made accessibility a top priority for public spaces. While we patiently (or impatiently) wait for more accessible features and spaces to be built, did you know of the smart cane, CAN Go, that helps seniors navigate their daily lives better? Its features include:

• Fall detection, activity tracking, GPS locations, flashlight, and emergency-calling features
• Easy navigation for seniors averse to adopting new technologies

5. E-passport
Aren’t you sick and tired of flipping over your whole place for your passport, or feeling the lead dread in your stomach when you lose it outside? Losing your travel credentials is an unfortunately common issue. Thankfully, a future with an E-Passport does exist! Now that plane tickets, loyalty cards and the like have moved from wallets to mobiles, it’s about time passports do the same. In 2023, Finland kickstarted the world’s first digital-passport programme, and we can’t wait for the rest of the world to follow suit.

6. Wearable muscle recovery tool
Exercise and sports participation has reached a new level in 2023. Unfortunately, more exercise comes with muscle soreness that won’t subside, but this dilemma can easily be solved with Therabody RecoveryTherm Cube, a tool that utilises fire and ice to provide you with maximum muscle relief. It comes in the size of a digital camera, delivering spot treatments ranging from 7°C to 42°C with no mess or hassle.

7. Eco-friendly fruit packaging
Fruits are incredibly popular in Singapore, especially since the Health Promotion Board of Singapore (HPB) encourages an intake of two servings of fruits each day. However, the styrofoam packaging commonly used for fruits isn’t environmentally friendly, taking a whopping 500 years — possibly even longer — to decompose. That changes with Cruz Cool! Two things you must know about it are:

• Frozen goods can be insulated for 48 hours, instead of the usual 12-30 hours.
• Its material — chitin (polymer found in fungi, insects and shrimp) — is made into large flat pellets easier to process. This makes production faster than other eco-friendly packages, which come in odd shapes and sizes difficult to process.
  

8. AR and VR zoo
Singapore has a wide range of animal attractions, exhibitions and museums for families, friends and schools to visit, be it for entertainment or education. The fun of these attractions is the ability to share the same space as these animals! But, what if there’s a way to be even closer? Say goodbye to physical barriers from your favourite animals with Axiom Holographics Hologram Zoo! The best thing: none of these animals are kept captive. It’s a win-win for everyone!

9. The ultimate navigator
The Muon Positioning System is perfect for those who love a little adventure, whether it’s hiking, skiing, or exploring uncharted territory. This impressive navigation tool ensures your safe return home. You can wade through blind spots, huge interiors and even underwater with no problem! Here’s how it works:

• By tracking and computing the radiation levels of muons, it can map walls, floors, and even people!
• The current positioning accuracy is 3.5 cm indoors, even boasting a time when it uncovered a hidden room within a 4,500-year-old Egyptian pyramid!
  

10. Invisible threat made visible
1 in 4 people may develop cancer in their lifetime, yet finding the lymph nodes through which cancer spreads is extremely difficult. Clinicians have to examine samples of body tissue by hand, a process prone to human error. This year, a possible solution emerged with CisionVision InVision, an invention that makes cancer visible! As a first-of-its-kind microscope showing lymph nodes contrasted against surrounding fat tissue, it enables more accurate cancer staging, allowing for better treatment plans and potentially saving more lives!

That’s a wrap for the most interesting inventions in 2023! If you’re keen on investing in these innovations – be it for the near future or your senior self – make your life easier with our wealth accumulation plans to sort out those pesky finance considerations!