We use cookies to provide you with a better experience. By continuing to browse the site you are agreeing to our use of cookies in accordance with our Cookie Policy.
  • INDUSTRY PRESS ROOM
  • SUBMISSIONS
  • MEDIA FILE
  • Create Account
  • Sign In
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
Free Newsletters
  • MAGAZINE
    • Current Issue
    • Archives
    • Digital Edition
    • Subscribe
    • Newsletters
  • STRATEGY
  • GLOBAL
  • LOGISTICS
  • MANUFACTURING
  • PROCUREMENT
  • VIDEO
    • News & Exclusives
    • Viewer Contributed
    • CSCMP EDGE 2022 Startup Alley
    • Upload your video
  • PODCAST ETC
    • Podcast
    • White Papers
    • Webcasts
    • Events
    • Blogs
      • Reflections
      • SCQ Forum
    • Mobile Apps
  • MAGAZINE
    • Current Issue
    • Archives
    • Digital Edition
    • Subscribe
    • Newsletters
  • STRATEGY
  • GLOBAL
  • LOGISTICS
  • MANUFACTURING
  • PROCUREMENT
  • VIDEO
    • News & Exclusives
    • Viewer Contributed
    • CSCMP EDGE 2022 Startup Alley
    • Upload your video
  • PODCAST ETC
    • Podcast
    • White Papers
    • Webcasts
    • Events
    • Blogs
      • Reflections
      • SCQ Forum
    • Mobile Apps
Home » The future may be here now
Perspective

The future may be here now

December 27, 2018
David Maloney
No Comments

I was recently talking with my friend Joe Tillman of TSquared Logistics. Joe had given a presentation where he mentioned that many of today's most commonly used technologies actually required years to find practical applications. Joe helped me assemble a few examples.

For instance, autonomous cars and trucks have been envisioned for decades. Way back in 1925, a radio-controlled car successfully navigated heavy traffic down Broadway and Fifth Avenue in New York City. A June 1995 article in Popular Science detailed a joint venture between the U.S. military and a robotics company to develop self-driving convoy trucks that used satellite positioning, inertial guidance systems, and ground sensors for navigation. Yet we are just now seeing these self-driving concepts becoming reality.

Radio-frequency identification systems were first patented in 1973. Although the military was an early adopter, it took some 30 years before the technology became cost-effective for commercial applications.

The patent for bar codes was issued in 1952, but it was not until the creation of the universal product code (UPC) that the technology caught on. On June 26, 1974, a pack of Juicy Fruit gum became the first product ever scanned, when a clerk slid it over a bar-code reader at a Marsh supermarket in Troy, Ohio.

Bluetooth relies on spread spectrum and frequency-hopping technology famously developed during World War II by amateur inventor and Hollywood actress Hedy Lamarr and composer George Antheil. Their original 1942 patent was for technology designed to prevent the jamming of radio signals controlling torpedoes. It was never applied that way, but the technology has since made its way into many of the mobile products that underpin the modern supply chain.

Most people assume blockchain technology is a recent innovation. But that's not actually the case. Stuart Haber and W. Scott Stornetta came up with the idea back in 1991 as a tamperproof way to timestamp documents.

The desire for machines that mimic human motions and perform tasks has been around for centuries. Leonardo da Vinci sketched mechanical men in 1495. In the 1730s, French inventor Jacques de Vaucanson exhibited several life-sized automatons, including a mechanical duck that appeared to eat from his hand. The term "robot" was coined by Czech writer Karel Capek in his 1920 play, "R.U.R."

As this short list shows, it's not unusual for technologies to require years to find their way. Often, good ideas just need the right timing or a favorable return on investment. Many concepts have to wait for advancements in other technologies, such as computing power, to help move them along.

Who knows, the next technology to revolutionize our supply chains may have already been invented and is just waiting for someone to come along with the right way to apply it.

    • Related Articles

      Distribution networks may need to be reimagined—again

      ’Tis the season to be patient

      Now is the time to electrify

    David maloney headshot
    David Maloney is group editorial director of CSCMP's Supply Chain Quarterly.

    Recent Articles by David Maloney

    Green is the new black

    Is your data factual?

    ’Tis the season to be patient

    You must login or register in order to post a comment.

    Report Abusive Comment

    Most Popular Articles

    • Report: Sagging freight stats show that trucking sector is returning to its historic mean

    • Survey: parcel delivery drivers are frustrated by using their own smartphones for work

    • Heavy transport across two continents

    • Survey: most Americans unaware that truckers face shortage of parking spaces

    • Supply chain executives not yet seeing expected results from technology investments

    Featured Video

    20221107korber large vs

    Enhancing Customer Experience with Your Supply Chain Strategy

    Viewer Contributed
    With the rise of e-commerce, many businesses have had to transform their warehouses to handle online orders in addition to regularly scheduled inventory shipments. This means warehouses need more information than ever before to ensure they can meet customers' needs. As a result, companies need to select warehouse...

    FEATURED WHITE PAPERS

    • Three layers of forklift safety: Promoting operating best practices

    • The Complete Guide to Automated Packaging

    • Five tips for parcel success in 2023

    • Guide to Pallet Rack Safety

    View More

    Subscribe to Supply Chain Quarterly

    Get Your Subscription
    • SUBSCRIBE
    • E-NEWSLETTERS
    • ADVERTISING
    • CUSTOMER CARE
    • CONTACT
    • ABOUT
    • STAFF
    • PRIVACY POLICY

    Copyright ©2023. All Rights ReservedDesign, CMS, Hosting & Web Development :: ePublishing