Star Wars is probably known for being one of the most successful movie franchises in cinema. The sci-fi genre owes a lot of what becomes of it to this title. The term Star Wars alone is considered a massive part of popular culture and is notorious even in the far edges of the world. Due to its scientific subject matter, the writers of the movie and the main storyline managed to integrate many inventions of the time into the setting, as well as to drag new concept machines and creations out of their imagination. These concepts gave birth to a selection of innovations that sparked within the science community, and they are called Star Wars Technology. Some of these innovations include:

1. Solar power technology

Star Wars Technology extends from events that take place in the movies, one of the most popular machines in the show are called TIE fighters (Tie stands for Twin Ion Engine). These short-range space ships had solar panels on each side to power their weapons and their engine. In the year 2004 and until the end of 2005, a group of scientists conducted several experiments with solar energy and solar panels, and these experiments came back with the best result possible. And nowadays, solar energy is a reliable source of energy and is set to be a replacement for fossil fuel. What was noteworthy about those particular experiments that led to this achievement is that the machine used strongly resembled that of the TIE fighter, which is part of the reason why it is considered Star Wats Technology.

2. Bionics

Also considered as Star Wars Tech is the industry of prosthetics or bionics. In many instances, during the movies, characters are seen with synthetic limbs from arms to other internal and external parts of the body. The medical prosthetics that are used professionally have a very similar design and function to the ones found in the Star Wars: Episode V. However, the ones seen in the movies are made out of material that is much more intricate and advanced.In recent years, efforts to make these limbs less potent by developing artificial fabrics to cover up the prosthetics, the result was very similar to Star Wars technology.

3. Holographic Technology

Holograms were first spotted in the fourth installment of the franchise. They were focused around characters and were used mainly for communication purposes. With each appearance, technology grew more and more familiar to the broad audience of the movie series. That led to significant technology companies such as Microsoft and NASA starting to develop similar products for various purposes. The prospects that the companies would be marketing the products to had to have watched the Star Wars Saga, for many implications of this technology, were used in the movies. They, also, share the same light manipulation system that the Star Wars technology is notorious for, a study in Australia showed that devices of that nature can be achieved in the near futureRelated: What are the technology news and their impact on business?

4. Lasers

Usually, the laser technology relies on concentrating a large portion of light waves towards a subject, which ultimately creates heat around that area. This technology was taken to a further dimension in the Star Wars saga, where numerous weapons and tools used in the world-building along with the story were implemented. This Star Wars Technology is, perhaps, the most familiar one to the public. In other words, it might not be used in same way as it is in the movies, but it certainly has that same effect once it transferred into viral handheld toys, motion detectors, medicinal scanners, and many other uses. All of this and more would not be possible without the forward-thinking that Star Wars has put into its technology.

5. Robotics

Robots and artificially sentient robots are very widespread within the Star Wars Technology line-up. From the main characters in the show to side ones and environmental factors. Most of them exist to add to the futuristic atmosphere on which the series is known to focus. Robots in Star Wars are very advanced as they learn human languages and can interact with them intelligently. This technology has also crossed over to real life in the form of concept robots moving according to the terrain they are on, figuring out puzzles that rival human intellect, solving math problems in short periods, and even help run a network of monetary gain in the east. Although the development of this technology is yet to reach the level that Star Wars has set, it is very likely that science projects like the ones mentioned before will give birth to something very similar very soon. Scientists are already trying to create a new integrated set of algorithms to enhance their understanding and sense of reality. If successful, this researches could revolutionize the robotics industry and even shape the future of the world we live in.

6. Star Wars Technology and military uses

Several military equipment, programs, and gear owe their entire existence to Star Wars Tech. As of recent, the army uses drone technology to investigate the suspected area and gather intel and surveillance around the areas that are confirmed threats, and even eliminate them in some cases. This method of working is heavily borrowed from The Empire, which is the protagonist force in the Star Wars universe. Other examples include the use of robots to infiltrate places where humans cannot reach, whether it be to save lives of soldiers in need or deliver precious cargo that can turn the tide in a military encounter. The US marine force used showcased a robot that vastly resembles C-3PO, a significant figure in the Star Wars Universe, that was mainly used for military purposes but also for civilian reasons too. It was later confirmed that it was modeled after the infamous character.Whatever may be the next line if innovations to be brought into the real world, it will, most certainly, come from minds that were sparked with inspiration. And Star Wars Technology is, and always will be one of the essential drivers of that motivation.

Originally published on Live Positively.