Technologies
A list of technologies within Divergent and whether they are old, current, existing, fictional, or in research.
Existing Technologies
01
Tracking Devices
Tracking devices are realistic and are commonly used in the present. Most devices like smartphones have tracking devices as part of them [1]. Companies also sell tags that can be placed on objects without tracking devices. The idea that tracking devices can be implanted into humans, presented in the movie, has recently become a reality.
03
Facial Recognition Software
The movie's portrayal of facial recognition was accurate. A computer was able to identify individuals based on their appearance. Facial recognition started to be created in 1964 but did not really progress until the 1980s and 1990s [4][5][6]. In the early 2000s facial recognition was used on larger scales and eventually integrated into devices like smartphones[7].
02
Touch Screens
Many smartphones, computers, and other types of screens have the ability to collect inputs based on the users touching a screen. A patent was filed by George Samuel and the touch screen was created in 1975 [2]. Touchscreens were implemented on phones and computers in the late 1990s and early 2000s [3].
Fictional
Technologies
01
Control Serum
The idea of a serum that can be injected into an individual and grant others control over their person through a computer is not an existing technology or one currently being researched.
02
Brain Reading Sensors
Although sensors that translate brain waves are a reality in society, ones that display the inner images of a person’s brain do not exist and are not currently being researched.
Technologies in Research
01
Tattoo Machine
Tattoo machines that take an inputted design and tattoo onto the skin are being created. The exact design that appears in the Divergent movie is slightly different than the one being developed but it is a similar idea.
02
Neuro Stim Dart
Neuro simulation in relation to pain is being researched within the medical field. The exact computing technology of a neuro-stimulating dart that causes the feeling of a gunshot wound is not currently being created.
References
-
Wagner, D., & Schmalstieg, D. (2009). History and future of tracking for mobile phone augmented reality. 2009 International Symposium on Ubiquitous Virtual Reality. https://doi.org/10.1109/isuvr.2009.11
-
Interactive Displays: Natural Human‐Interface Technologies. (n.d.). Chichester, UK: John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. doi:10.1002/9781118706237
-
Staff, H. C. (2021, December 14). Touch screen explained - everything you need to know. History Computer. Retrieved October 1, 2022, from http://history-computer.com/ModernComputer/Basis/touch_screen.html
-
Gavin. (2022, May 12). A brief history of facial recognition - NEC New Zealand. NEC. Retrieved October 1, 2022, from https://www.nec.co.nz/market-leadership/publications-media/a-brief-history-of-facial-recognition/
-
Goldstein, A. J., Harmon, L. D., & Lesk, A. B. (1971). Identification of human faces. Proceedings of the IEEE, 59(5), 748–760. https://doi.org/10.1109/proc.1971.8254
-
Turk, M. A., & Pentland, A. P. (1991). Face recognition using eigenfaces. Proceedings. 1991 IEEE Computer Society Conference on Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition. https://doi.org/10.1109/cvpr.1991.139758
-
Bowyer, K. W. (2004). Face recognition technology: Security versus privacy. IEEE Technology and Society Magazine, 23(1), 9–19. https://doi.org/10.1109/mtas.2004.1273467
-
J. W. (2015, October 27). Robot tattoo machine is back! now tattooing real people! Tattoodo. Retrieved October 1, 2022, from https://www.tattoodo.com/articles/robot-tattoo-machine-is-back-now-tattooing-real-people-5639
-
Magis, D., & Schoenen, J. (2012). Advances and challenges in neurostimulation for headaches. The Lancet Neurology, 11(8), 708–719. https://doi.org/10.1016/s1474-4422(12)70139-4