Living in the information age, we are accustomed to new and innovative tools that change the way we live. We can control everything in our homes with our voices. We can talk face-to-face, albeit digitally, with anyone, anywhere in the world. We even carry supercomputers with all knowledge known to man in our pockets.

As we celebrate summer vacations, why not explore some hi-tech travel changes that could be coming over the next few years. Enjoy!

• You might be trading in your vehicle for a self-driving car subscription. Autonomous cars have been around for a few years now. You can grab a self-driving Lyft in Las Vegas or utilize Telsa’s autopilot software to allow your car to accelerate, steer and brake on its own while staying in its lane. While they’re out there, autonomous cars are still considered somewhat of a novelty. According to intellectual property company GreyB, every car manufacturer is working to change that.  At some point soon, self-driving cars will be commonplace. And some time after that, they will be the standard. Once that happens, rideshare programs will offer subscriptions that guarantee a car will pick you up and get you where you need to be. Instead of buying and maintaining a vehicle, all you’ll need is an app and a credit card to get around town.
• Magnets and a large vacuum might be the preference over airplane travel. From the beginning of time, the force of friction has been the biggest puzzle to solve in order to move something from point A to point B. Enter the Hyperloop. Originally diagrammed by Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, the idea is to build a pod in a tube that eliminates ground friction with the use of magnets and reduces air resistance by creating a vacuum. The result? Ground travel at 700 miles per hour with very low operating costs. It could get someone from San Francisco to Los Angeles (380 miles) in 30 to 35 minutes for about $20 according to Discover Magazine! The first test drive involving passengers was successful at the end of 2020. The hope is the first one will be fully operational within the next five years.

• More hospitality services will be performed by robots. In many hotels around the world, everything from front desk support and luggage assistance to room cleaning is being handled by artificial intelligence. In China, you can check into FlyZoo hotels with facial recognition, according to CNBC. In San Jose, you can order snacks or blankets to be delivered by a robot right to your room. In New York, a Yobot will collect your things and deliver it to your room when you check in. Hotels that utilize this technology are considered early adopters, but it won’t be long before it’s mainstream.

Like all new technology, there are kinks to work out and new problems to solve, but one thing is certain – big changes are right around the corner!