The unbelievable gadgets in science fiction movies used to be just that: unbelievable. But in today’s tech-obsessed society, nothing is out the realm of possibility.
 

With the latest unveiling of a new jetpack, Sci Fi geeks are poised to see their dreams come to life. Here’s a look at 5 recent innovations based in pop culture:
 

1. The Jetpack

Ever since James Bond used a jetpack in Thunderball in 1965, and even before that, people have tried to recreate the flying device. Though Glenn Martin, a New Zealand inventor, is not the first to create such a Buzz Lightyear-like, gravity-defying machine, he is the first to build one that flies for more than a minute. In fact, Martin’s jetpacks, which he started developing 27 years ago in college, can run for 30 minutes, and he hopes to sell them next year for $100,000 each.

2. XOS Exoskeleton

While Iron Man captured audiences’ attention in the theaters, Steve Jacobsen and the engineers at Sarcos were working on the real thing. This high-tech contraption not only provides superhuman strength, but superhuman endurance as well. The creators’ plan is to make these, the latest and most advanced exoskeleton suits, available to soldiers, firemen and the wheelchair-bound.

3. The Advanced Tactical Laser

This advanced weapon from Boeing brings to mind the not-of-this-world fight scenes in Independence Day. The ATL is a 40,000-pound, megawatt-class chemical laser that can completely destroy a target from 10,000 feet up and five miles away. Featuring a silent, invisible beam, this new weapon means neither aliens nor enemies stand a chance.

4. Motion Sensor Technology

The movie Minority Report displayed some awesome technology, but none more awesome than the wall-size screen Tom Cruise could control with the motion of his hands. Now Gesture Studios is using motion sensor technology to bring this idea to the real world, hopefully replacing keyboards, the mouse and remote controls eventually. The film connection is no accident, though: Gesture Studios was created by MIT’s John Underkoffler who helped Spielberg design the movie’s scene.

5. The Invisibility Cloak

First a Hogwarts-esque university, and now the invisibility cloak. Researchers at Imperial College London are attempting to make a never-before-done blanket that can hide objects. The blanket, made of silicon and silica, would act like a mirror, causing visible light to reverse. Though this isn’t quite invisibility, manipulating light is the first step, and the real thing is not too far into the future.