Science Fiction to Science Fact

Often some seemingly unrelated technology can actually drive changes in hardware and software development.  Things that used to be considered science fiction  20 - 30 years ago, have now  become science fact.

Some examples of these are:

• Technology that can bend light waves to make an object distorted to the naked eye, or possibly disappear altogether.  An example of this is the recent "Invisibility Cloak".

• Chameleon-like body armor that morphs it's color scheme and patterns to match whatever the wearer is next to at that particular moment.

•  Infantry weapons with intelligent ammunition systems.  When shot over the heads of hidden  enemies, detect the surroundings, determines the hard and soft target's, and then take out multiple targets at one time.

• Voice reactive computer systems that can make intelligent decisions based on previous experiences.  This Includes such things as opening doors and windows, getting directions, turning on appliances, automatically making shopping lists for replenishment of common  things in your refrigerator..

• Nanotechnology - Insect sized ROV's (Remote Operated Vehicles).

• AMS (Autonomous Mobile Sword)  A land based version of a Predator Drone (Remember the movie Screamers?).

• Bionic Limbs (Remember the Bionic Man series?). 

Based on some of the recent technology changes in military equipment, cell phones,  and notepads, it probably won't be long until some of these changes start to filter back into the Point of Sale realm. An example of this is Touch Screen technology. This was originally only found in the military applications and some retail monitors. It has now made it into cell phones, and the latest IPad.

As more of this type of technology is developed  some of the things that you are likely see as standard software/hardware features in future accounting, and Point of Sale Systems are: 

• RFID (Radio Frequency ID) integration to your POS system.  - Auto-creation of receiving documents created by scanning inbound boxes located in your loading bay.  Wireless shopping bags/baskets that prescan all of the items a customer inserts. This then auto-creates a register ticket for items as they are collecting them. 

• Portable POS Touch-pad Terminals. -  Wireless Hand-held POS touch pad devices with attached scanners that allow you to walk around and create customer orders.

• Voice Command Software - Simply reading off what you want to purchase as you encounter it, creates a sales ticket.

• Point of Sale Glasses - Using the same technology developed the military for weapons guidance helmets and putting it into what appears to be a pair of normal glasses.  The glasses have built-in computer screen, that like a touch screen, responds to your eye movements to control it's functions. 

If you are curious about up-coming technology that might affect you, please contact the CCS Retail Systems Sales Department.