IBM's 5 in 5 predictions: Devices that can touch, feel, smell

Each year IBM's research arm had made predictions about emerging technologies that will change human lives over the next five years. Called the 5 in 5 list which is released at the end of the year, IBM looks at technologies that are upcoming. The list for 2012 sounds absolutely fascinating as it shows the massive changes you should expect by 2017.

So what is IBM predicting? IBM's predicting thatemerging technologies push the boundaries of human limitations to enhance and augment our senses with machine learning, artificial intelligence (AI), advanced speech recognition and more.

Technology will impact not just touch but rather all five human senses from smell to sight to hearing to taste. Virtual devices such as smartphones, computers etc will allow us to feel, touch smell etc.

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Here's a look at how each sense will be affected:

[caption id="attachment_561122" align="alignleft" width="380"] How hearing will be affected. Image from IBM.[/caption]

Touch:Ability touch through your phone. IBM saysInfrared and haptic technologies will enable a smartphone's touchscreen technology and vibration capabilities to simulate the physical sensation of touching something. So yes it might be possible to reproduce how it feels to such silk via your smartphone itself.

Sight:In the future, computers could be used to spot diseases, etc by analysing patterns to make sense of visuals. Of course big data will be the key here helping computers figure out all the information.

Hearing:IBM predicts sensors that pick up sound patterns and frequency changes will be able to predict sounds correctly.

Taste:Technology could help people get together the right kind of recipes suited for their taste buds, diet, calories counts etc.

Smell: Computers will have a sense of smell predicts IBM. It saysSoon, sensors will detect and distinguish odors: a chemical, a biomarker, even molecules in the breath that affect personal health. The same smell technology, combined with deep learning systems, could troubleshoot operating-room hygiene, crops' soil conditions or a city's sanitation system before the human nose knows there's a problem.

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