The future starts here

Design will play an ever increasing role on every aspect of our future. From our DNA to the cosmos, from our planet to our desks, our futures will be mapped by the objects we use and the people who build them. This book explores the forking paths of future development, taking in corporate products backed by millions in venture capital to alternative bottom-up strategies dreamed up by individuals working in small groups. THE FUTURE STARTS HERE examines the cutting edge of technology and how it shapes our everyday lives. Looking at real objects being developed today – including a UAV by Facebook designed to beam the internet down from space, to a robot developed by UC Berkeley which will do the laundry – expert authors show how design and technology impact every level of life, from sub-microscopic aspects of the human body to the entire planet. Published to accompany a major exhibition at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, it asks how we can use technology to shape the future of our world. The staggering developments featured here are all happening now, it is up to us to ensure they create a future for us all. This book will appeal to designers, technologists, popular science enthusiasts and anyone with a curiosity about the future of our planet.