Has the technology in The Jetsons become a reality?

When it premiered in 1962, The Jetsons envisioned a utopian city 100 years in the future, where everyone had flying cars and lived in smart homes. With its futuristic technology and smart gadgets, the cartoon series has since inspired generations of tech enthusiasts. From Rosie the robot maid to personal jetpacks, The Jetsons have supplied us with unlimited fantasies for the future. But now we have passed the halfway mark to that envisioned future, let’s take a look at the progress of some of the futuristic technologies featured in the famous cartoon. 

In the cartoon, the Jetsons’ family home is full of cool gadgets. It has climate control, a great Audio Video entertainment system, an intercom and everything is controllable with a touch of a button. We have nailed this technology, with complete smart home systems which can control lighting, Audio Video, electric blinds, door locks, climate, intercoms and any other device connected to the internet. All you need is an app, and you have complete control over your home no matter where you are. In fact, we can now create a smart home better than the one in The Jetsons.

(Verdict: Yes)

When I re-watched the show last week, I could not help but notice that the writers were obsessed with the idea of the video phone. These devices were featured everywhere on the show; even the very first episode showed Jane Jetson having a video call with her mother. And have we made this into a reality? You bet we have. In fact, we now have better video phone technology than the Jetsons’ prediction. Apart from “FaceTiming” our friends and family using our smartphones, we also have meeting room Audio Video systems which allow us to conduct business meetings with international business partners through AV equipment.

(verdict: Yes)

No childhood fantasy can be complete without flying cars. We all loved how George Jetson could get into his flying car and fly to his office. Although we now have many variations on the flying car, we still do not have the perfect passenger vehicle that we can see in The Jetsons. But the way things are progressing, it will not take a long time for us to get there.

(Verdict: Almost there)

In the cartoon, the family used hologram technology to create a Christmas tree. It must have been a far-fetched fantasy at the time, but we now have the technology. And it’s not only Christmas trees; we are now using the holograms of deceased celebrities and organising live concerts. In fact, in 2012, there was a live concert featuring Tupac’s hologram. Isn’t that amazing?

(Verdict: Yes)

In almost every science fiction film or TV show, robots feature heavily. The Jetsons is no exception. In the TV show, Rosie the robot maid is shown as being an integral part of the family, doing all sorts of things typical of a maid. Apart from Rosie, the show also features an automated vacuum cleaning robot and various other household automatons. Now, let’s look at real life. The good news is that we have vacuum cleaning robots. We also have robots which can do some of the dreaded housework. But if we compare this with Rosie (who also has a love life), then we are still lagging far behind. However, with significant improvement in Robotics and AI, we will certainly be able to create autonomous robotic housemaids.

(Verdict: Not ready, but work in progress)

Among the many glorious gadgets displayed in the show, Personal Pods were my favourite. They looked like a very convenient mode of transportation. Just last month, a Chinese drone company, “Ehang,” unveiled what it is calling the world’s first electric, personal “Autonomous Aerial Vehicle.” Although it has rotors and is slower than what we perhaps may have fantasised about, this still works pretty well as a personal pod.

(Verdict: Ready)

Another intriguing gadget that the show displayed was a machine that could create any type food at the push of a button. We now have 3D-printed food technology which can print various foodstuffs using organic materials stored inside the printer. There is a restaurant called Food Ink, which serves 3D-printed foods. And even better, they have a branch in London in case you want to fulfil one of your culinary fantasies. That’s another win for science.

(Verdict: Ready)

A watch for doing something other than checking the time? Now that’s a smart gadget. The smartwatches featured in the show could be used to make and receive video calls. Remember, we are talking about a TV show from the ’60s. But the people behind the show must have had a clear vision of the future, because today, we have many smartwatch brands on the market. Along with other smart features, these smart gadgets can indeed be used to make video calls.

(Verdict: Ready)

Remember the episode when George tried out a new pair of experimental smart shoes that dance on their own?  Well, we don’t yet have anything like that, but we do have smart footwear equipped with sensors that can track the movement of anyone wearing the shoe. Not only that, Nike the footwear giant has released a version smart footwear called “Nike Adapt”. It involves an app, a motor and wires that automatically tighten or loosen the shoe, according to your preference.

(Verdict: Not ready)

In Orbit city, there aren’t any playgrounds for the Jetsons’ family dog, Astro.
So, to keep him fit and healthy, George frequently takes him on their automatic dog walking machine, which is essentially a big treadmill spacious for both a man and his best friend. This doesn’t really involve any particularly advanced technology though, so we can safely say that treadmills for dogs are already a thing.

(Verdict: Ready)

Jetpacks have long been every kid’s dream gadget. In the cartoon, we were awestruck by Elroy Jetson’s cool jetpack. We spent nights thinking about how cool it would be if we could use a jetpack to land on top of school, making all the other kids go green with envy in the process. As it turns out, we already have the technology for this. Invented by British Inventor Richard Browning, the fully-functional Jet Suit Series 4 costs around £340K a unit.

(Verdict: Ready)

Another fantastic gadget which has made it into present-day reality is the hoverboard. Unveiled in 2012 by a French engineer named Franky Zapata, the real-life hoverboard is called the  FlyBoardAir. This device is powered by gas turbines and can fly up to 150 km/h. The same inventor is also responsible for the FlyBoard, which hovers over water using Hydroflight technology. This FlyBoard device is already mainstream.

(Verdict: Ready)

We have all heard of global warming, rising sea levels and pollution. So, at some point, you may well have thought of ditching our dying planet and live in outer space, right? The good news is that the great minds of our time are already working on creating orbiting cities just like those portrayed in the Jetsons. However, as you probably already know, that is very much in its infancy, and quite a long way from being made a reality.

(Verdict: Not Ready)

In one episode, George goes to the Doctor, who gives him a camera in the form of a pill that can be swallowed. After he does so, the camera activates and allows the doctor to see the inside his stomach. Well, a Pill Cam has been developed recently. It is used to examine a patient’s colon without having to do a colonoscopy. The pill cam has also been approved by US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

(Verdict: Ready)

The Jetsons is probably the most revolutionary cartoon of all time. The way they imagined future technologies and gadgets shows that they were clearly ahead of their time. We have already developed many of the technologies featured in the show, but we still have many years left to catch up to the rest. Who knows, maybe we will live in Orbit city in the near future.