A visit to the moon, lab-grown meat: Projects that promise to make 2021 an exciting year – Economic Times

Technology evolves at a rapid pace leading to a constant flow of innovation to help you live and work better. From space travel to food, here are six developments in science and tech that promise to make 2021 an exciting year

AR in ecommerceTHE NEW SHOPPING REALITYWant to walk into a store say Bata and try out their footwear with-out leaving the safe confines of your home? Augmented reality (AR) will change the game in retail. You can create a look, share it with friends and get their opinions before paying for the product. Even e-retailers will bet big on AR in 2021 as it can bring a mall to a customer's home. Reliance-backed ecommerce platform Fynd is already doing it. Amazon and Flipkart could well be next.

Lab-grown or plant-based meatIMPOSSIBLE BECOMES POSSIBLEThe Impossible Burger a plant-based, lab-grown meat from Impossible Food Inc is all the rage in the US. Even chains like McDonalds and Burger King are getting into the game. In India, the government has granted Rs 5 crore to a couple of in-stitutions to work on lab-grown meat. This could well be the year of vegetarian meat in India. Not having to kill an animal to fill your stomach may help give you a clear conscience. But note that plant-based meat sells for almost double the price of regular meat in several parts of the world.

Rollable, waterproof TVsROLL, BABY ROLLIn 2020, Samsung launched a TV called The Terrace. USP: water-proof TV. It could be a pool-side companion or a prop for that rain-dance party. More brands are likely to follow with similar TVs. And then there are rollable TVs which can be rolled up and tucked away. LG launched the worlds first rollable TV. Others won't be far behind. But you might have to pay a bomb for these. The water-proof Samsung TV costs $3,500 (roughly Rs 2.7 lakh) and the rollable TV costs a whopping $87,000 (an eye-popping Rs 64 lakh). Who said innovation comes cheap.

Space travelA WEEKEND AROUND THE MOONRichard Branson, Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos are all working on sending ordinary people to space. India isn't far behind. Isro is working on a manned mission to space Gaganyaan. This could lay the foundation of space travel and tourism in the country. Ordinary Indians might not be able to go to space in 2021. But soon, it would not be out of reach of a billionaire to realise such a million-dollar dream.

Foldable devicesMORE THAN SMARTPHONESSamsung, Huawei and LG have thrown their hats into the foldable smartphone ring. But brands are just getting started in this space. 2021 may very well be the year when foldable PCs make a mark. Lenovos foldable PC also the worlds first that arrived in 2020 gave us a glimpse of what to expect. But it would cost a bomb. The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Fold costs a whopping $2,499 (roughly Rs 1.85 lakh). Foldable devices not only ensure innovations in hardware but also software. If you can stomach the inevitable glitches, it is going to be an exciting time.