Future technology in human imagination 1955

In 1955, the American Chamber of Commerce produced a slide show titled 'People, Products, and Progress: 1975' to showcase what American industry was going to look forward to.

The companies of 1955 envisioned what they wanted to achieve 20 years from now. Those include aerodynamic trains, easy electronic payments in stores, and even nuclear-powered cars.

1. 'Electronic eye' at the supermarket

'When ladies went grocery shopping in 1975, they didn't have to wait long at the checkout,' according to the slideshow. 'The innovation illustrated here is an automated computer that can price all items as they pass through the electronic eye'.

The first question people from the 21st century will ask with this illustration is: Where is the barcode? Although barcodes were invented in the late 1940s, they were not adopted by US supermarkets until the 1970s. So how does the 'electronic eye' scan products? Perhaps people at that time thought about product recognition technology?

2. Aerodynamic train

This illustration, created in partnership with the American Railroad Association, depicts an aerodynamic train used in 1975. These trains 'characterizes lighter weight and heavier weight. a lower center of gravity than current carriages, plus the ability to move around bends at much higher speeds'.

Today, we already have high-speed trains with aerodynamic design, but there are still no trains with many large transparent doors like this.

3. Atomic-powered smart car

'The American Iron and Steel Institute research could aid the development of vehicles equipped with electronics capable of alerting drivers to road conditions ahead, along with an automated 'brain'. park', according to the slideshow.

But what is more surprising is that this car is said to run on atomic energy, no different from a concept car developed in 1957 called the Ford Nucleon. The huge part behind the car where the reactor is located.

4. Robot makes rails

Railroad construction robots of 1975, which will "perform all construction and repair work", will also improve major infrastructure processes through automation.

5. Convenient shopping via phones and smart home appliances

In this futuristic design, the 1975 woman is comfortably shopping over the phone, while dishwashing, laundry and anything else is done at the touch of a button.

6. Double decker train

This 1975 double-decker train is pictured in the American Chamber of Commerce slideshow from 1955. Similar to the train design above, the double-decker train is also imagined to have an aerodynamic design with extra-large windows for Everyone inside enjoys the view as the train runs.

7. Nuclear-powered train

Not just cars, this final slideshow shows a train pulled by a nuclear powered locomotive. Half a century ago, Americans predicted that in the future almost everything would run on atomic energy.