Isaac Tseng (Interaction Design)
Carol Hsu (Interaction Design)
Future Casted Benefit 2040
Your digital identity and passport information is stored in blockchain accessible only by multi-point biometric cross-referencing.
Traveling is now faster with direct sharing of information between customs.
Technological Requirements
Memristor processors to run blockchain efficiently.
Web3 blockchain technology & 7G internet connectivity (1000x 5G).
Multipoint Biometric Cross-referencing Technology including:
Infrared Palm Scanning, Voice Recognition, Eye Tracking, Fingerprint
Guiding Trends
Increase in international travel and cultural exchange.
My identity info - my ownership.
Biometric tech is democratized and widely normalized in daily life.
Decentralization is good.
More relatives live across multiple nations.
Methodology
This research project utilizes:
These tools were used to explore future trends, potential touchpoints, and public sentiments during the year 2040.
Social Forces 2040
- “Green” literacy and education is standardized and shared by 95% of the global population.
- A greater push for social equity is expected.
Technological Forces 2040
- Biometric data, “global digital citizenship”, and blockchain security technology may lead to passports and travel visas becoming obsolete.
- XR is an essential part of the travel experience as well as itinerary planning.
Economic Forces 2040
- Accessibility to mobility is essential for everyone and is no longer gate-kept by the ability to purchase a private vehicle due to shared economy.
Environmental Forces 2040
- Energy efficiency measures will continue to grow and proliferate in response to curb 2.7 degrees Celsius of global warming. Clean energy grid and decentralized mobility will grow.
Political Forces 2040
- Global citizenship becomes a growing topic of discussion with identification and national security.
- Increased connectivity is expected between urban and rural areas as well as an increased call for “Emergency” mobility.
X-Factors 2040
- The fixed-route commute diminishes greatly due to remote work proliferation post-pandemic.
- International travel will increase ever more, with more people having family and friends in multiple nations.
The United States of Excess/Access - Progressivist Overconsumption
2040 brings forth an age of decentralized information and mobility. Social Equity as a value is at the forefront of government policy, economic reform and infrastructure development in the United States. Ensuring equal access to mobility, opportunities, and technology is the main priority – at the expense of reduced prioritization on environmental sustainability.Sustainability efforts are seen in hydroponics and ride-sharing, however they are often limited in main urban hubs and not rural areas. Ownership of data becomes a growing point of interest due to increased security risks of Web2.0 platforms. Blockchain is the new inclination for information technology and data security.
Key Exploration Concept: Metaverse - Blockchain Identity in 2040
Litany
- Your digital identity and passport information is stored in blockchain accessible only by multi-point biometric cross-referencing. Traveling is now faster with direct sharing of information between customs.
Systems
- Memristor computation to run blockchain efficiently and quickly
- Web3 blockchain technology
- 7G internet connectivity (1000x 5G)
- Biometric technologies
- Featherweight wearable technology
Discourse
- International travel is commonplace, accessed universally, mundane even
- Physical passports and IDs are things of the past
- Traveling “light” with no baggage and just “you” is the new standard; to be unencumbered is the paragon
- Increased news coverage of security breaches on web2.0 platforms raises public opinion of web3 in contrast
- Travel content on social media is stronger than ever, emphasizing the ease in unencumbered travel
Mythos
- Decentralization is good
- My identity info - my ownership
- More relatives live across multiple nations, increase in international travel and cultural exchange
- International travel is much easier than before with less complex steps
This future casting project explores the possibilities of Blockchain technology applied to future mobility solutions in 2040. In the project, international travel is the core focus, where we question the need for physical passports and identification, and investigate whether personal identification can be stored using Web3 Blockchain and accessed securely by customs offices during international travel. This is a strictly hypothetical project employing STEEPX, morphological analysis, and CLA mapping as research methodology.
Majority population during 2040
Generations:
- Millennials (Late career stage, mid 50s)
- Gen Alpha (Early career stage, mid 20s)
Geographic Location:
- Focused on West Coast United States and its international transportation hubs
- Living in a world with increased global travel & cultural exchange
Considerations:
- Older generations will have apprehension towards Web2.0 infrastructure and data ownership. They will struggle to keep up with rapid change.
- Younger generations will experience more frequent cases of job burnout and lack of occupational mobility.
- Travel though unpredictable due to increased inclement weather patterns, will still be on the rise, especially internationally.
Vernacular/Slang:
Aura-ight
- 2040 equivalent of “vibe”, to describe a interesting or pleasant atmosphere. Rhymes with “alright”.
LumiLink
- To initiate a holographic call with someone over Apple’s integrated ecosystem.
Blipped
- To describe someone who is having an off day, like they’re malfunctioning. Comes from the action of a drone falling from the sky.
So 2.0
- Derived from “Web2.0”. To describe someone/something as old fashioned. “That’s so 2.0.”
Viz
- Short for “Visual”, used to describe the action of doing a visual-based call through holo-chat or XR call. "Let's meet over Viz."
Our prototype blockchain device is the Digital Identify Scanner. The Digital identity scanner is placed at TSA travel checkpoints in airports and transit stations, replacing the need to bring physical passports and ID cards. Identity information is stored in blockchain and can only be accessed by palm scanning biometric technology. Palm scanning uses infrared light to map the vein patterns in a palm for identification. It is even more secure than fingerprint. Once the person’s ID has been verified and cross referenced, they are free to pass through.
