The amazing advances that will transform lives in 50 years' time

It will be possible to join work meetings and social engagements via hologram - so you never miss out. Photo / 123RF

It is often said that truth is stranger than fiction.

But the lines between truth and science fiction are set to blur, with an expert predicting a raft of extraordinary new inventions.

Concepts that were once confined to make-believe and fantasy such as space tourism, submarine trains and personal flying pods are all on the horizon and set to be ingrained into every day life in just 50 years.

Those under the age of 25 can look forward to enjoying implanted technology to constantly monitor their health, travelling in personal flying pods rather than cars and never missing out thanks to joining events as a hologram, according to the Daily Mail.

If this isn't outlandish enough, there will also be supersonic trains that travel underwater without tunnels, thought police, who can detect a crime before it has been committed, and invisibility cloaks.

The latter will initially be used only in the military, with civilian use likely to follow.

Shops and clubs will use augmented reality to become invisible to the "wrong" clientele by appearing dull, while being garish and exciting to people they want to come in.

The future of leisure and tourism is set for a shake up, too, with robots being used for household tasks, affording humans more leisure time, holidays in space and virtual holidays where exciting experiences can be enjoyed without leaving home.

This virtual technology will also enable people to feel young again or try out living as the opposite sex.

The possibility to don a superhero style bodysuit containing artificial muscles is even predicted to greatly upgrade strength to make people superhuman.

The findings are part of research commissioned for the launch of new 10-part Channel 4 series Electric Dreams, which will bring to life the stories of Blade Runner creator Philip K Dick with an all-star cast including Steve Buscemi.

Leading British futurologist Dr Ian Pearson led the research, which collated all the available recent findings from experts from over 100 leading sources.

His findings paint a vivid picture of the exciting innovations younger generations can expect to see within their own lifetimes.

Dr Ian Pearson said: "Many of the things we take for granted today like instant mobile global communication at the touch of a button and computer networks that allow us to tap into the sum of all knowledge were once fanciful ideas of science fiction.

"Our human quest for innovation is relentless and we will continue to see a whole raft of developments as ideas that were once features of futuristic sci-fi books and TV series become not only a reality but an accepted part of our everyday lives.

"Philip K Dick was among those who were years ahead of their time in identifying the changes we can expect to see in the future, and Channel 4's new series Electric Dreams is a fascinating insight into his vision, his predictive powers and his incredible story-telling."

A sample of 2,000 Brits were quizzed on the developments identified in the study: a third of those surveyed were fearful of the future with Zombie style viruses (52 per cent) , Star Wars style 'robot armies' (45 per cent) and never-ending lives lived in virtual bodies (24 per cent) topping the future fear factor list.

THE TOP 10 INNOVATIONS PEOPLE WOULD MOST LIKE TO SEE BECOME REALITY

1. Smart body implants

Tiny IT devices will be implanted into the skin so blood chemistry and nerve signals can be monitored 24/7, which means ailments can be detected and diagnosed instantly - 40 per cent.

2. Flying vehicles

Driverless pods will replace cars - 28 per cent.

3. Space tourism

It will become routine with holidays in space being commonplace - 28 per cent.

4. Virtual holidays

Full sensory virtual reality (VR) will allow virtual holidays to exciting imaginary places and effectively in any body. People will use it try another gender or to be young again - 25 per cent.

5. Domestic robots and increased leisure time

Thanks to the use of robots and androids across domestic and working environments humans will enjoy more leisure time and increased standards of living - 24 per cent.

6. Thought police

Thought recognition technology will be used extensively to prevent crimes before they happen - 23 per cent.

7. Virtual meetings via hologram

It will be possible to join work meetings and social engagements via hologram - so you never miss out - 23 per cent.

8. Superhuman abilities

Exoskeleton catsuits using electro-active polymer muscles will make people superhuman - 18 per cent.

9. Supersonic submarine trains

They will link continents at 750mph by travelling using supercavitation. This involves passing through the water without friction inside a bubble of air - 16 per cent.

10. Invisibility cloaks

They will become reality as "invisibility tech" becomes more accessible, initially in the military, but social use is very likely too. Shops and clubs will use augmented reality to become invisible to the 'wrong' clientele by being dull and un-noticeable, while being garish and exciting to people they want to come in - 13 per cent.

Source: The Electric Dreams Report.