Technology has evolved a lot since then, but closets have been largely untouched by innovation. Now, that's starting to change. "If algorithms do their job well, people will spend less time thinking about what to wear," said Ranjitha Kumar, an assistant professor in the Department of Computer Scie...

BNR Europe (Harlow, England), the R&D subsidiary of telecommunications equipment supplier Northern Telecom, is using virtual reality technology for equipment installation planning. The VR system allows BNR's engineers to visualize complex installations and how they will work, greatly saving time and effort compared to the traditional CAD system. Continental Bank (Chicago, Ill.) has developed a client/server-based intelligent application to improve the quality of its customer service. Thanks to an expert system, the bank's service management staff has immediate access to customers' cash management account information online. Anderson Memorial Hospital (Anderson, S.C.) had implemented a neural network-based hospital information and patient prediction system which has improved the quality of care, reduced the death rate and saved the facility millions of dollars in resources.

The system will help eliminate avoidable pollution and save pharmaceutical and chemical manufacturers millions of dollars. The Batch Design Kit will be commercially available in the summer of 1995. Photosound (Saffron-Walden, England) is using virtual reality to simulate and visualize the effects of different pharmaceutical drugs on the human body. The results are being used as the focal point of exhibition stands designed by Photosound for such pharmaceutical firms as Smith-Kline Beecham. Westinghouse Electric (Pittsburgh, Penn.) and Carnegie Group (Pittsburgh, Penn.) are working with the Pittsburgh Cancer Institute on a knowledge-based intelligent system for the management of national clinical trials.

Technology has evolved a lot since then, but closets have been largely untouched by innovation. Now, that's starting to change. "If algorithms do their job well, people will spend less time thinking about what to wear," said Ranjitha Kumar, an assistant professor in the Department of Computer Science at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. From artificial intelligence and gadgets to smart fabrics and virtual reality, technology is poised to breathe innovation into not only how we dress but how we shop. The most recognizable example is Amazon's Echo Look, which received significant buzz when it was announced earlier this year.

New data has not only revealed the sharp increase in demand for virtual reality, augmented reality, and artificial intelligence as part of our everyday lives, but also how popularity is encouraging the game-changing technical advancements that will shape the capabilities of tomorrow's smartphones. "Google's Daydream is a Virtual Reality platform deeply integrated into the latest version of Android's latest operating system. "2017 should see a boom in Daydream ready devices on the higher end of the android ecosystem, and this has the potential to bring quality VR experiences to the masses via the world's most wide reaching mobile Operating System. "At work, smart systems will play a key role in enabling various information intensive or labour intensive tasks to become more efficient.

"This unique report provides an insightful view into the future of apps and the rapid transition to a powerfully immersive digital and app-centric society," he added, commenting on a new report titled "The Future of Apps", commissioned by F5 Networks, a leading application security and cloud solutions expert, which draws upon research conducted by the Foresight Factory. It also charts the rise of new app interfaces (including augmented and virtual reality) and the potential-rich influence of blockchain technologies and edge computing. Looking ahead, Foresight Factory flags critical advances in areas such as collaborative AI, where virtual assistants – and underlying apps – can communicate and act accordingly. New networks Foresight Factory anticipates far greater decentralisation as blockchain technologies and edge computing become mainstream, empowering IoT and privacy-hungry consumers.

A Chicago company called Narrative Science was among the first to give computers the power of the pen -- or keyboard. It's created a software called Quill. And, like anyone with a creative streak, automated writing software likes to stretch its artistic muscles. The best part is, this virtual reality and machine learning revolution will spark the investing trend of the decade ahead.

Artificial intelligence can research and write routine documents. A Chicago company called Narrative Science was among the first to give computers the power of the pen -- or keyboard. And, like anyone with a creative streak, automated writing software likes to stretch its artistic muscles. Best of all, this virtual reality and machine learning revolution will spark the investing trend of the decade ahead.

It could be a key part towards building a standalone VR headset, and more. Movidius has developed compact chips that already power DJI's Phantom 4 drones, enabling autonomous piloting. Intel's plans for a fully cordless VR headset with depth-sensing cameras, called Project Alloy, were unveiled at the Intel Developer Forum in August. In a press release from Movidius, CEO Remi El-Ouazzane says "our leading VPU (Vision Processing Unit) platform for on-device vision processing combined with Intel's industry leading depth sensing solution (Intel RealSense Technology) is a winning combination for autonomous machines that can see in 3D, understand their surroundings and navigate accordingly."

There was a scene in the 1993 movie Demolition Man where Officer Huxley (Sandra Bullock, who hasn't aged a minute) asked John Spartan (Sylvester Stallone, who has aged for every minute Bullock hasn't) if he'd like to have sex. While most of us currently prefer the hunka chunka to simulated sex, with augmented and virtual reality technologies taking grand leaps every day -- this line of development was inevitable. It will also require artificial intelligence software to solidify and nurture that link, providing the stimulation based on learning factors. That's a dour outlook, but at the end of Demolition Man Spartan physically kissed Huxley and her brain reacted to this stimuli like it never had to the headset.