Science Fiction
Dictionary
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
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Timeline
of Science Fiction Ideas, Technology and Inventions
(sorted by Publication Date)
Most of these items are linked to information about similar real-life inventions and inventors; click on an invention to learn more about it.
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| Date | Device Name (Novel Author) |
| 1950 | Anti-Tri-D Shot (from The Morning of the Day They Did It by E.B. White) Counteracts the deadly pesticide Tri-D. |
| 1950 | Nucleocat Cureall (from Contagion by Katherine MacLean) Only human cells can survive contact. |
| 1950 | Shipboard Medical Treatment (from Contagion by Katherine MacLean) An elaborate system to guard against infection in returning space explorers. |
| 1950 | Regeneration Tank (from Contagion by Katherine MacLean) A nutrient bath large enough to enclose a person that preserved life and treated disease. |
| 1950 | Gravity Drive (from Star Ship by Poul Anderson) A spaceship propulsion method that uses gravity or gravity waves. |
| 1950 | Earther (from The Five Gold Bands by Jack Vance) A person born on planet Earth. |
| 1950 | Underpeople (from The Ballad of Lost C'Mell by Cordwainer Smith) An animal modified to be human in shape and intellect. |
| 1950 | Two-Wheeled Ground Car (from First Lensman by E.E. 'Doc' Smith) A gyro-stabilized vehicle like an enclosed motorcycle. |
| 1950 | Repair Robots (from The Well-Oiled Machine by H.B. Fyfe) Autonomous robots that carry out maintenance functions on a space ship. |
| 1950 | Nexialist (from Voyage of the Space Beagle by A.E. van Vogt) A person with a coordinative knowledge across a variety of sciences. |
| 1950 | Robot Mice (from The Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury) Tiny cleaning robots. |
| 1950 | Yeast Steak (from The Evitable Conflict by Isaac Asimov) Growing custom strains of yeast as food. |
| 1950 | The Machines (from The Evitable Conflict by Isaac Asimov) A few of these can run a planetary economy. |
| 1950 | Black Bag (from The Little Black Bag by C.M. Kornbluth) A medical kit from the future. |
| 1950 | Haberman (from Scanners Live in Vain by Cordwainer Smith) Modified humans controlled by cybernetic implants. |
| 1950 | Torch (from Farmer in the Sky by Robert Heinlein) The orifice from which issued the reaction mass of an atomic powered space craft. |
| 1950 | Tri-D (from The Morning of the Day They Did It by E.B. White) A remarkable pesticide. |
| 1950 | Stratovideo (Television Plane) (from The Morning of the Day They Did It by E.B. White) An aircraft with studios that continuously broadcast line-of-sight television. |
| 1950 | Diaheliper (from The Morning of the Day They Did It by E.B. White) Offers delivery of diapers by air. |
| 1950 | Walker Wagon (from Farmer in the Sky by Robert Heinlein) Robotic vehicle with a trough-like body and many mechanical legs. |
| 1950 | Computer-Controlled House (from The Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury) A residence that is an autonomous robotic system. |
| 1950 | Sand Ship (from The Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury) A wind-powered vehicle in the desert. |
| 1950 | Helicab (from Heli-Cab Hack by John Weston) A taxi cab that flies using helicopter rotors. |
| 1950 | Mass-Conversion Ship (from Farmer in the Sky by Robert Heinlein) A spacecraft that uses the ultimate in fuel sources. |
| 1950 | Building With Lunar Materials (from The Moon is Hell by John W. Campbell) Using a planet's materials to make what you need. |
| 1950 | Tractatruck (from The Moon is Hell by John W. Campbell) Combination tractor and truck used for hauling and exploration. |
| 1950 | Fontema (from First Lensman by E.E. 'Doc' Smith) A strange two 'wheeled' animal. |
| 1950 | Robotic Dishwasher (from The Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury) A fully automated solution to the dishwashing problem. |
| 1950 | Water From Lunar Gypsum (from The Moon is Hell by John W. Campbell) Extracting water (and therefore oxygen, by electrolysis) from apparently dry lunar material. |
| 1950 | Space Platform (from The Morning of the Day They Did It by E.B. White) The Space Platform for Checking Aggression is a military orbital weapons platform. |
| 1950 | Mentophone (from Time Quarry by Clifford Simak) A device that facilitates long-distance telepathy. |
| 1950 | FTL (from The Enchanted Forest by Fritz Leiber) Abbreviation for "faster than light". |
| 1950 | Quickthaw (from Farmer in the Sky by Robert Heinlein) A microwave oven to heat food items quickly. |
| 1950 | Syntho-Steak (from Farmer in the Sky by Robert Heinlein) Artificially produced meat. |
| 1950 | Palm Key-Plate (from The Stars are The Styx by Theodore Sturgeon) A plate that accepts palms that have been verified. |
| 1950 | Automatic Light Switch (from The Man Who Sold The Moon by Robert Heinlein) A device that senses if an illuminated room is empty, and turns off the light. |
| 1950 | Zag House (from Time Quarry by Clifford Simak) A means of implanting dreams. |
| 1950 | Earthport (from The Ballad of Lost C'Mell by Cordwainer Smith) A massive spaceport that reared up from the surface of the earth to the edge of the atmosphere. |
| 1950 | Robotic Chess Expert (from Time Quarry by Clifford Simak) A robot that plays chess at a level that no human can match. |
| 1950 | Voice-Clock (from The Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury) A clock that could state the time out loud. |
| 1950 | Self-Adjusting Furniture (from Time Quarry by Clifford Simak) Automatic adjustment for a perfect fit. |
| 1950 | Hybrid Mass Driver (from The Man Who Sold The Moon by Robert Heinlein) A device for launching space craft on the first stage of a journey to space. |
| 1950 | Culture Tank (from Needle by Hal Clement) Germs that eat garbage and produce oil. |
| 1951 | Machine Test Scoring (from The Fun They Had by Isaac Asimov) A device that scans a specially prepared grade sheet and determines a student's score. |
| 1951 | Telebook (from The Fun They Had by Isaac Asimov) A book made available in text on a television screen. |
| 1951 | Ultra-Light (from Rock Diver by Harry Harrison) Allows the user to see into rock or other solid matter. |
| 1951 | Happylife Home (from The Illustrated Man by Ray Bradbury) An automated multi-media home, which provided the good life to its inhabitants. |
| 1951 | Air Speedster (from Foundation by Isaac Asimov) Highly maneuverable air vehicle for hunting. |
| 1951 | Booklegger (from Between Planets by Robert Heinlein) A smuggler of books. |
| 1951 | Coffee Cube (from The Marching Morons by C.M. Kornbluth) Concentrated coffee that boils itself! |
| 1951 | Genetic Engineering (from Dragon's Island by Jack Williamson) Direct manipulation of genetic material |
| 1951 | Dirt-Farming (from The End of the Line by James Schmitz) An archaic method of food production. |
| 1951 | Cold-Sleep (from Between Planets by Robert Heinlein) A form of induced suspended animation, in which a person enters a state like hibernation. |
| 1951 | Jump Through Hyperspace (from Foundation by Isaac Asimov) Device that makes faster-than-light travel possible. |
| 1951 | Anti-Spying Device (from Foundation by Isaac Asimov) Foolproof means of defending against spy beams. |
| 1951 | Surrogate Skin (from The Puppet Masters by Robert Heinlein) False skin that is sprayed onto damaged areas. |
| 1951 | Single Vehicle Tunnel (from Foundation by Isaac Asimov) A small diameter tunnel that accepts a single vehicle to a single destination. |
| 1951 | Sun Dome (from The Illustrated Man by Ray Bradbury) Used on Venus to give relief from the endless rain. |
| 1951 | Neuronic Whip (from The Stars, Like Dust by Isaac Asimov) A weapon that stimulated the nerve endings to cause extreme discomfort. |
| 1951 | Robass (from The Quest for Saint Aquin by Anthony Boucher) A robotic beast of burden. |
| 1951 | Sun-Room (from Foundation by Isaac Asimov) On a planet-wide city, the only way to get some sun without going to the roof. |
| 1951 | Pocket Nucleo-Bulb (from Foundation by Isaac Asimov) A nuclear-powered pocket-sized flashlight. |
| 1951 | Ultrawave Relay or Hyperwave Relay (from Foundation by Isaac Asimov) Instantaneous, faster-than-light communication system. |
| 1951 | Oxygen Weeds (from The Sands of Mars by Arthur C. Clarke) Plants that create oxygen on a planet with little breathable air. |
| 1951 | Flying Saucer (from The Puppet Masters by Robert Heinlein) Spacecraft flown by the androgynes of Titan - under control of the Puppetmasters. |
| 1951 | Mechanical Teacher (from The Fun They Had by Isaac Asimov) A computer device able to teach children. |
| 1951 | Vibratory Mass Penetrator (from Rock Diver by Harry Harrison) A device that allows a person to walk through earth and even solid rock. |
| 1951 | Smarter People Having Fewer Children (from The Marching Morons by C.M. Kornbluth) The original argument that less suitable human pairs are having proportionally more children. |
| 1951 | Helmet-Mounted Display Screen (from Rock Diver by Harry Harrison) A small electronic display mounted for easy viewing. |
| 1951 | Ontogenetic Adaptation (from The End of the Line by James Schmitz) Immediate genetic-level ability to eat alien plants. |
| 1951 | Half-Sphere Force Field (from Between Planets by Robert Heinlein) A protective force field that can manifest even as a half-sphere. |
| 1951 | Neutron Disruption Blaster (from The Complete Paratime by H. Beam Piper) Beam pistol which splits neutrons into protons and electrons, releasing enormous energy. |
| 1951 | Personal Force-Shield (from Foundation by Isaac Asimov) A portable force-shield small enough to be carried by a single man. |
| 1951 | Oxygen Concentrator (from Duel on Syrtis by Poul Anderson) Gathers oxygen from a thin atmosphere until it is breathable, supporting life. |
| 1951 | Suspensine (from Duel on Syrtis by Poul Anderson) Slows biological functions enough to survive in airless space - for a time. |
| 1951 | Dominator (from The End of the Line by James Schmitz) Device implants a psychological block. |
| 1951 | The Veldt (from The Illustrated Man by Ray Bradbury) A nursery that comes alive for the viewer. |
| 1951 | Space Station One (from The Sands of Mars by Arthur C. Clarke) Describes an early space station similar to the International Space Station, that grew over time by accretion. |
| 1951 | Vat Meat (Albert) (from The End of the Line by James Schmitz) Meat grown in a vat. |
| 1951 | Psychohistory (from Foundation by Isaac Asimov) Branch of mathematics describes the behavior of human beings en masses. |
| 1951 | Self-Sealing Plastic (from Asteroid of Fear by Raymond Z. Gallun) Transparent sheeting with a layer of material that would flow to staunch tiny leaks. |
| 1951 | Metal Foil Advertisement (from The Illustrated Man by Ray Bradbury) An advertising circular made out of metal. |
| 1951 | Airtight Tent (from Asteroid of Fear by Raymond Z. Gallun) A temporary structure for living on an airless moon or asteroid. |
| 1951 | Martian Perambulator (from Between Planets by Robert Heinlein) A mechanized transport for heavy gravity environments for beings born in lower gravity environments. |
| 1951 | Security Restraint Field (from Between Planets by Robert Heinlein) A force field that restricts personal movement. |
| 1951 | Retard-Jets (from Brother Worlds by Raymond Z. Gallun) Rockets to slow down. |
| 1951 | Star-Globe (Ship) (from Brother Worlds by Raymond Z. Gallun) A spherical spacecraft. |
| 1951 | Trantor (from Foundation by Isaac Asimov) A city that covers the entire surface of the planet. |
| 1951 | Space Transfer Station (from Between Planets by Robert Heinlein) An orbiting space station primarily used as a stepping-off point from Earth. |
| 1951 | Guided Missile Control Station (from Between Planets by Robert Heinlein) An orbital missile base. |
| 1951 | Polaron Beam (from Earthlight (Novella) by Arthur C. Clarke) A unique beam of energy that scatters some of its light at right angles to the direction of propagation. |
| 1951 | Robot Detector (from Assignment in the Unknown by Frank Quattrocchi) A device that can sense robotics. |
| 1951 | Asteroid Garden (from Asteroid of Fear by Raymond Z. Gallun) A method for building a greenhouse on a small, airless body. |
| 1951 | Audio Relay (from The Puppet Masters by Robert Heinlein) A communication device implanted behind the ear; also used as an alarm for wake-up calls. |
| 1951 | Static Field (from Foundation by Isaac Asimov) A defense against a spy beam. |
| 1951 | Spy Beam (from Foundation by Isaac Asimov) A surveillance device that projects energy into a room, revealing conversation taking place. |
| 1951 | Plasto-Textile (from Foundation by Isaac Asimov) A fabric that cannot be stained. |
| 1951 | Calculator Pad (from Foundation by Isaac Asimov) Used to make psychohistoric calculations |
| 1951 | Artificial Intelligence (from Moon of the Unforgotten by Edmond Hamilton) A machine or other created system able to respond in a human-like way to questions or problems. |
| 1951 | Powered artificial exoskeleton (from Between Planets by Robert Heinlein) A robotic device designed to support someone too weak to comfortably move in high gravity. |
| 1951 | Gravitic Repulsion Elevator (from Foundation by Isaac Asimov) The elevator was of the new sort that ran by gravitic repulsion. |
| 1951 | Directional Ticket (from Foundation by Isaac Asimov) A ticket that also has the property of glowing while you are going toward what you bought. |
| 1951 | Selector Card (from The Puppet Masters by Robert Heinlein) Pneumatic delivery of book films by using a mechanical form of data storage; selector cards - probably punch cards. |
| 1951 | Finger Watch (from Key Decision by H.B. Fyfe) A ring that contains a working timepiece and a display. |
| 1951 | Odorophonics (from The Illustrated Man by Ray Bradbury) A system capable of reproducing selected scents capable of fooling the human nervous system. |
| 1951 | Spinning Pressurized Drum (from Between Planets by Robert Heinlein) Put a spin on just a part of a space station. |
| 1951 | Molecule Matrix (from Between Planets by Robert Heinlein) Storing information in individual molecules and atoms. |
| 1951 | Microwire (from Between Planets by Robert Heinlein) A very thin wire used for recording purposes. |
| 1951 | Planetruck (from The Slave Ship to Andrigo by Ross Rocklynne) Huge vehicle for planetary surface transport. |
| 1951 | Suction Mail Tube (from The Illustrated Man by Ray Bradbury) An evacuated tube system carrying mail to residences. |
| 1951 | Agricultural World (from Foundation by Isaac Asimov) Planet set aside for the production of food for another world. |
| 1951 | Force-Field Penknife (from Foundation by Isaac Asimov) A pocket-sized knife, the blade of which is a force-field. |
| 1951 | Nuclear Shears (from Foundation by Isaac Asimov) Device uses nuclear power to accomplish basic shop tasks. |
| 1951 | Pail of Air (from A Pail of Air by Fritz Leiber) A small bucket filled with (liquid) air. |
| 1951 | Negative Molecular Motion (from The Universe Between by Alan E. Nourse) A state of matter that has a temperature below absolute zero. |
| 1951 | Teledar (from The Jester by William Tenn) Three-dimensional television. |
| 1951 | Flavor-Fix Rheostat (from The Jester by William Tenn) Technology makes sure that the flavor of automatically-produced food is perfect. |
| 1951 | Autocab (from Between Planets by Robert Heinlein) An fully automated taxi cab. |
| 1951 | Robot Comedian (from The Jester by William Tenn) Joke-telling feature added to a standard butler robot. |
| 1951 | Movable Slideway (from Between Planets by Robert Heinlein) A slideway (moving sidewalk) that can be extended to a spaceship to ease the debarkation process. |
| 1951 | Asteroid Homesteaders' School (from Asteroid of Fear by Raymond Z. Gallun) An institution of learning where regular folks learned how to start a farm on an asteroid. |
| 1951 | Variable Modifier (from The Jester by William Tenn) Provides the capability of altering standard jokes to fit new circumstances. |
| 1951 | Shuttle Ship (from Between Planets by Robert Heinlein) A spacecraft that could take off from a planet, rendezvous with an object in orbit, and fly back to the surface like a glider. |
| 1951 | Winged Rocket Shuttle (from Between Planets by Robert Heinlein) A sort of plane that briefly reached space while traveling between points on a planet. |
| 1951 | Meson Filter (from The Jester by William Tenn) Provides robots with the ability to tell the difference between jokes that provide a chuckle and jokes that provide a belly laugh. |
| 1951 | Butler-Valet Robot (from The Jester by William Tenn) A gentleman's servant, roboticized. |
| 1951 | Vocalex Kitchen (from The Jester by William Tenn) Voice command automatic kitchen. |
| 1951 | Personal Capsule (from Foundation by Isaac Asimov) An impenetrable device containing information for your eyes only. |
| 1952 | Robot Manumission (from Robot Unwanted by Daniel Keyes) The freeing of a robotic being from a state of being owned property. |
| 1952 | Airjeep (from Uller Uprising by H. Beam Piper) A small military air vehicle. |
| 1952 | Broomstick (from Islands in the Sky by Arthur C. Clarke) Device to ease movement in a zero-gravity environment. |
| 1952 | Silencer-Padding (from Robot Unwanted by Daniel Keyes) Robots need to have special padding on the bottoms of their lower limbs, so they don't clank as they walk. |
| 1952 | Plastissue (from Accidental Flight by W.F. Wallace) Artificial flesh. |
| 1952 | Self-Repairing Robot (from Accidental Flight by W.F. Wallace) A mechanism that can detect faults in itself and repair them. |
| 1952 | Gravital Unit (from Accidental Flight by W.F. Wallace) Device that maintains Earth-comparable gravity on an asteroid. |
| 1952 | Medical Use for Weightlessness (from Accidental Flight by W.F. Wallace) Early reference to the idea of using a weightless environment for medical purposes. |
| 1952 | Robodore (from Robot Unwanted by Daniel Keyes) A robot specialized for use as a stevedore, emptying the contents of ships in port. |
| 1952 | Toaster (from Accidental Flight by W.F. Wallace) A handheld beam weapon. |
| 1952 | Magneslippers (from Accidental Flight by W.F. Wallace) Shoes that adhere to metal space ship floors, useful in null gravity situations. |
| 1952 | Robotic Law Tape Safety Valve (from Robot Unwanted by Daniel Keyes) A specific impulse that warns robots contemplating breaking the laws set forth for their behavior. |
| 1952 | Robot Ramp (from Robot Unwanted by Daniel Keyes) A special means of ingress and egress solely for use by mechanical help. |
| 1952 | Personal Solar Plant (from Ring Around the Sun by Clifford Simak) A single-home solar-powered energy source. |
| 1952 | Hypnoteleset (from The Space Merchants by Frederik Pohl (w/CM Kornbluth)) A device that guarantees quick, surrogate sleep. |
| 1952 | Stun Pistol (from Foundation and Empire by Isaac Asimov) A hand-held device that causes unconsciousness. |
| 1952 | Psychic Probe (from Foundation and Empire by Isaac Asimov) A device capable of discerning truthful information in a living human brain. |
| 1952 | Triple Airlock (from Uller Uprising by H. Beam Piper) Special device to protect against extremely corrosive atmospheres. |
| 1952 | Levitating Path (from A Sound of Thunder by Ray Bradbury) Anti-gravity metal used to make a floating walkway. |
| 1952 | Pocket Projector (from Foundation and Empire by Isaac Asimov) A personal device for replaying media. |
| 1952 | Nuclear-Field Depressor (from Foundation and Empire by Isaac Asimov) A device that causes nuclear-powered devices to stop working. |
| 1952 | Water Bulb (from The Space Merchants by Frederik Pohl (w/CM Kornbluth)) A zero-g way to enjoy water. |
| 1952 | Solar-powered Prefab House (from Ring Around the Sun by Clifford Simak) A pre-built house that can live off the grid. |
| 1952 | Electronic Spy (from Ring Around the Sun by Clifford Simak) An autonomous device that kept itself hidden while keeping track of an individual's activity. |
| 1952 | Vacuum Tractor (from Moonwalk by H.B. Fyfe) A small transport used on the surface of the moon, in vacuum. |
| 1952 | Wall-Light (from Foundation and Empire by Isaac Asimov) The walls of a room provide illumination. |
| 1952 | Spray-On Gloves (from Abercrombie Station by Jack Vance) Fashionable evening gloves that are sprayed onto the hand and arm. |
| 1952 | Spray-On Clothing Web (from Abercrombie Station by Jack Vance) A 'web' clothing foundation that can be sprayed on and then molded by a couturier. |
| 1952 | Lunocycle (Lunar Bicycle) (from The Rolling Stones by Robert Heinlein) A bicycle specially adapted for lunar travel. |
| 1952 | Free Robot (from Robot Unwanted by Daniel Keyes) A robot without a master. |
| 1952 | Ullran Enunciator (from Uller Uprising by H. Beam Piper) Special prosthesis needed to aid humans in speaking an alien language. |
| 1952 | Off-Planet (from Uller Uprising by H. Beam Piper) Away from a planet, towards another or into space. |
| 1952 | Contragravity Suit (from Uller Uprising by H. Beam Piper) A suit with antigravity. |
| 1952 | Flavor-Capsule (from Foundation and Empire by Isaac Asimov) A small pill used to turn ordinary water into a flavored beverage. |
| 1952 | Tiny Nuclear Generator (from Foundation and Empire by Isaac Asimov) A complete nuclear-based generator of power no bigger than a walnut. |
| 1952 | Recorded Books (from Foundation and Empire by Isaac Asimov) Electronically recorded books. |
| 1952 | Ribbon World (from Foundation and Empire by Isaac Asimov) A planet that presents the same face to its sun has a small habitable area - the ribbon between light and dark. |
| 1952 | Animal-tissue Culture Vat (from Uller Uprising by H. Beam Piper) A means of producing artificial meat for food. |
| 1952 | Flat Cat (from The Rolling Stones by Robert Heinlein) A nearly two-dimensional furry little beast. |
| 1952 | Water Bulb (from The Space Merchants by Frederik Pohl (w/CM Kornbluth)) A zero-gee dispenser of liquids. |
| 1952 | Plasticocoon (from The Space Merchants by Frederik Pohl (w/CM Kornbluth)) Holds a prisoner motionless. |
| 1952 | Monoline (from Big Planet by Jack Vance) A wind-driven overland transport. |
| 1952 | Tourist Rocket (from The Space Merchants by Frederik Pohl (w/CM Kornbluth)) A cheap, unpleasant way to do space travel. |
| 1952 | Chlorella Plantation (from The Space Merchants by Frederik Pohl (w/CM Kornbluth)) A skyscraper designed for food production. |
| 1952 | Chicken Little (from The Space Merchants by Frederik Pohl (w/CM Kornbluth)) Very early reference to meat grown in a vat for food. |
| 1952 | Self-Maintaining Circuit Monitoring and Repair (from Gramp and his Dog by Frank Quattrocchi) A computer that monitors itself for repair. |
| 1952 | Singularity (from All The Time In The World by Arthur C. Clarke) In science, a condition in which spacetime breaks down; in society, a technological advance causes social conditions to break down. |
| 1952 | Photo Crystal (Cube) (from Foundation and Empire by Isaac Asimov) A small handheld display for a picture |
| 1952 | Automatic Pilot (from The Space Merchants by Frederik Pohl (w/CM Kornbluth)) A device to control the movement of aircraft using computer components. |
| 1952 | Coffiest (from The Space Merchants by Frederik Pohl (w/CM Kornbluth)) It's coffee that you can't live without. |
| 1952 | Hilsch Vortex Tube (from The Space Merchants by Frederik Pohl (w/CM Kornbluth)) A T-shaped device that admits air under pressure and outputs hot air from side and cold from the other. |
| 1952 | Prism Window (from The Space Merchants by Frederik Pohl (w/CM Kornbluth)) A device for getting a better view of the ground from inside an airplane. |
| 1952 | Analogue Treatment (from Ticket to Anywhere by Damon Knight) Hypnotic drug treatment that normalizes behavior in humans. |
| 1952 | Panatrope (from Surface Tension by James Blish) A device that modifies human dna to ensure survival in harsh alien environments. |
| 1952 | Warp-Speed (from Yachting Party by Fox B. Holden) Faster than light spaceships. |
| 1952 | Space-Weather Men (from Revenge of the Robots by Lawrence Chandler) Predictors of the 'weather' in space. |
| 1952 | Automated Wake-Up Call (from The Kokod Warriors by Jack Vance) A device that provides automated wake-up calls. |
| 1952 | Kite-Copter Car (from The Kokod Warriors by Jack Vance) An observation car suspended below a device that supplies lift. |
| 1952 | Vision Strip (from Orphans of the Void by Orville Shaara) A circular vision strip for robots. |
| 1952 | Esper (from The Demolished Man by Alfred Bester) A person to perceive the contents of another person's mind. |
| 1952 | Leak Disk (from Islands in the Sky by Arthur C. Clarke) Simple device to temporarily close a leak in a spacecraft. |
| 1952 | Airplane Window Ads (from The Space Merchants by Frederik Pohl (w/CM Kornbluth)) An airplane window that allows you to - see advertisements! |
| 1952 | Menslator (from Troubled Star by George O. Smith) A translator that works by examining the mental image of what you are trying to say. |
| 1952 | Moonwalk (from Moonwalk by H.B. Fyfe) To traverse the Earth's moon on foot, in a space suit. |
| 1952 | Visi-Sonor (from Foundation and Empire by Isaac Asimov) An entertainment device which appeared to create both sound and light by acting directly on brain cells. It also stimulated emotions directly. |
| 1952 | Magnetized Cloth Pajamas (from Abercrombie Station by Jack Vance) Sleeping in zero gee - just like on Earth! |
| 1952 | Magnetic Coil Slippers (from Abercrombie Station by Jack Vance) Maintain your footing in zero gravity. |
| 1952 | Gas Giant (from Solar Plexus by James Blish) Large planet consisting primarily of gas with a solid core. |
| 1952 | Mechanical Dentist (from Make Mine Mars by C.M. Kornbluth) No human graduated from dental school here. |
| 1952 | Retinal Projection (from The Space Merchants by Frederik Pohl (w/CM Kornbluth)) A method for projecting advertisements directly on the retina. |
| 1952 | Moon-Dome (from Last Blast by Eric Frank Russell) A transparent hemisphere used as a habitat. |
| 1952 | Compulsive Subsonics (from The Space Merchants by Frederik Pohl (w/CM Kornbluth)) An advertising agency works with every part of the audience's brain. |
| 1952 | Barytrine Field (from Troubled Star by George O. Smith) Very large scale stasis field. |
| 1952 | Space Beacon (from Troubled Star by George O. Smith) An ordinary sun is transformed into a beacon for use by spacecraft when in hyperspace. |
| 1952 | Soot-Extractor Nostril Plugs (Antisoot Plugs) (from The Space Merchants by Frederik Pohl (w/CM Kornbluth)) A small device worn to filter industrial pollutants out of breathing air. |
| 1952 | Spy-Eyes (from Manners of the Age by H.B. Fyfe) Tiny robotic surveillance devices fly using propellers. |
| 1952 | Supervisor Robot (from Manners of the Age by H.B. Fyfe) A robot that watches over and gives orders to other robots. |
| 1952 | Robot Tennis Player (from Manners of the Age by H.B. Fyfe) A purely mechanical, autonomous foe on the court. |
| 1952 | Mnemiphot (from The Kokod Warriors by Jack Vance) A device used to search for information, which is then presented on a convenient screen. |
| 1952 | Hydropathic bed (from The Demolished Man by Alfred Bester) A heated bed that used something more comfortable than water. |
| 1952 | Zero 'g' (Zero Gee) (from Islands in the Sky by Arthur C. Clarke) In a ship in orbit, in free fall. |
| 1952 | Lead-Bodied Android (from Robots of the World! Arise! by Mari Wolf) A robot designed for use in the nuclear industry. |
| 1952 | Droid (First Use) (from Robots of the World! Arise! by Mari Wolf) Contraction of "android". |
| 1952 | Depilatory Soap (from Gravy Planet by Frederik Pohl (w/CM Kornbluth)) A labor-saving combination of soap and a agent that removes hair. |
| 1952 | Tree-Grown Wood (from Gravy Planet by Frederik Pohl (w/CM Kornbluth)) The natural product, obtained by cutting down a living tree. |
| 1952 | Flesh Men (from Robots of the World! Arise! by Mari Wolf) Thinking beings that are not mechanical robots - human beings. |
| 1952 | Law of Contact (from Orphans of the Void by Orville Shaara) Non-interference in the development of other worlds. |
| 1952 | Light Absorbing/Emitting Ink (from Gravy Planet by Frederik Pohl (w/CM Kornbluth)) Ink that can absorb light and then emit it in a burst for advertising purposes. |
| 1952 | Robot Strike (from Robots of the World! Arise! by Mari Wolf) When robots refuse to work. |
| 1952 | Beeper (from Islands in the Sky by Arthur C. Clarke) A handheld radar set, used to find items that have drifted off. |
| 1952 | Cylinder Space Suit (from Islands in the Sky by Arthur C. Clarke) A mostly rigid, cylindrical space suit. |
| 1953 | Visicastor (from Second Foundation by Isaac Asimov) A person who presents video broadcasts. |
| 1953 | Speedtalk (from Assignment in Eternity by Robert Heinlein) A constructed language that uses a single sound to stand for a word, achieving great improvements in communication speed. |
| 1953 | Space Weakness (from Space Tug by Murray Leinster) Early description of what happens to the human body in zero gravity. |
| 1953 | Time Scoop (from Paycheck by Philip K. Dick) Retrieved objects from other points in time. |
| 1953 | Inflatable Air Lock (from Space Tug by Murray Leinster) Air lock making use of inflatable side walls to achieve large size. |
| 1953 | Permanent Skywriting (from Soap Opera by Alan Nelson) Non-wispy skywriting letters. |
| 1953 | Vistascreen (from Assignment to Aldebaran by Kendall Foster Crossen) Large screen entertainment. |
| 1953 | Spot-Wavex Scrambler (from Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury) Provides a more personalized experience of television, by letting the announcers talk to you personally. |
| 1953 | Galactic Damping Field (from Brain Wave by Poul Anderson) A vast field of force emanating from the center of the galaxy. |
| 1953 | Automatobus (from Sally by Isaac Asimov) An autonomous or self-driving bus seating a number of people. |
| 1953 | Automatic Ticket Machine (from Second Foundation by Isaac Asimov) Get your ticket to Trantor automatically. |
| 1953 | Planoforming (from The Game of Rat and Dragon by Cordwainer Smith) A form of "faster than light" travel allows for interstellar travel. |
| 1953 | Stardrive (from Childhood's End by Arthur C. Clarke) Propulsion method that quickly brings a ship's speed to nearly that of light. |
| 1953 | Master Ventriloquism Corporation (MV) (from Captive Audience by Anne Warren Griffith) A central source of product advertising, commercials sent out to every product. |
| 1953 | Buy-Me-Discs (from Captive Audience by Anne Warren Griffith) Tiny disks attached to products in stores that received transmitted ads to share with consumers. |
| 1953 | Pinlight (from The Game of Rat and Dragon by Cordwainer Smith) Thimble-sized photonuclear bomb. |
| 1953 | Robotic Conductor (from Paycheck by Philip K. Dick) A robot charged with conductor's duties aboard a bus or other public transportation. |
| 1953 | Torchship (from Sky Lift by Robert Heinlein) A spaceship capable of high acceleration. |
| 1953 | R. Daneel Olivaw (from Caves of Steel by Isaac Asimov) A human-like robot, skilled in police work. |
| 1953 | Panoramic Viewer (from Childhood's End by Arthur C. Clarke) Permits observation at a distance, as well as the projection of a holographic image. |
| 1953 | Magnetic-Soled Shoes (from Space Tug by Murray Leinster) A means of walking on a surface in zero gravity. |
| 1953 | Robot Pianist (from Virtuoso by Herbert Goldstone) A robot learns the fine art of playing classical music on the piano. |
| 1953 | Mental Static Device (from Second Foundation by Isaac Asimov) Cloak the minds of individuals with a kind of 'noise'. |
| 1953 | Ovoid 3D Galactic Model (from Second Foundation by Isaac Asimov) A handheld display of a galaxy. |
| 1953 | Farming Trantor (from Second Foundation by Isaac Asimov) Taking apart a vast city, and returning to farming the land. |
| 1953 | Pushpot (from Space Tug by Murray Leinster) An independent rocket motor that can attach itself to an object bound for space. |
| 1953 | Ring Road (from Starman Jones by Robert Heinlein) A magnetically levitated train. |
| 1953 | Preserving Machine (from The Preserving Machine by Philip K. Dick) A device that would create a unique animal from a piece of classical music. |
| 1953 | Sub-C (from The Impossible Planet by Philip K. Dick) Of ships, older models that travel at speeds below that of light. |
| 1953 | Message Tree (from A Case of Conscience by James Blish) A tree growing out of a huge cliff of crystal provides communication for a world. |
| 1953 | Earplug Decision (Restraint of Advertising) (from Captive Audience by Anne Warren Griffith) A Supreme Court judgement that declared that earplugs used to block advertising were unconstitutional. |
| 1953 | Pocket Phone (or pocketphone) (from Assignment in Eternity by Robert Heinlein) A telephone that is not hard wired to the network; a mobile or cell phone. |
| 1953 | Sound Analysis (from Assignment in Eternity by Robert Heinlein) Improving language teaching by showing the waveform of a spoken word or phrase, and comparing it to standard speech. |
| 1953 | Machine Evolution (from Second Variety by Philip K. Dick) An early look at the idea that machines can evolve all by themselves, physically and intellectually. |
| 1953 | News Receptor (from If There Were No Benny Cemoli by Philip K. Dick) Devices used by homeostatic newspapers to gather news autonomically. |
| 1953 | City Ship (from Star of Wonder by Julian May) A generation ship, a spacecraft that carries a people to another star. |
| 1953 | Planetary Globe (from Star of Wonder by Julian May) A craftsman's model of a planet. |
| 1953 | Synthony (from The Music Master by F.L. Wallace) A musical performance by robots. |
| 1953 | Paint-to-Order Robot Artist (from The Music Master by F.L. Wallace) A robotic mechanism that could produce a unique picture, given subject and artistic style. |
| 1953 | Travel-Rug (from Roll Out The Rolov! by Christopher Anvil) A rug that conveyed you around your house. |
| 1953 | Eetee (E.T. - extraterrestrial) (from Button, Button by Thomas Wilson) A sentient being not of this Earth. |
| 1953 | Hypertracer (from Second Foundation by Isaac Asimov) A device that allows a pursuer to follow a spaceship through hyperspace. |
| 1953 | Dressing Machine (from Roll Out the Rolov! by Christopher Anvil) A robotic device to serve as a mechanical dresser. |
| 1953 | Claws (Attack Robot) (from Second Variety by Philip K. Dick) Autonomous guard robots that attack living tissue. |
| 1953 | Robotaxi (from Dugal Was A Spaceman by Joe Gibson) A fully automated, driverless taxi. |
| 1953 | Vapor Cloud (from The Cosmic Poachers by Philip K. Dick) Corrosive gas destroys ships. |
| 1953 | Garbage Screen (from Space Tug by Murray Leinster) Use of bits of metal to confuse radar targeting of space stations. |
| 1953 | Legislation Analyzer (from The Trouble With Bubbles by Philip K. Dick) Device analyzes potentially biased bills. |
| 1953 | Spacecraft Ejection Seat (from Space Tug by Murray Leinster) An ejection seat for spacecraft, to be used in the event of problems during launch. |
| 1953 | Pilot's Tank (from Sky Lift by Robert Heinlein) For high gee boosting. |
| 1953 | Salamander (from Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury) Name given to the fire trucks of the future, which carry kerosene rather than water, and are used to burn houses. |
| 1953 | Space Phobia (from Let 'em Breathe Space! by Lester del Rey) When astronauts have had enough. |
| 1953 | Air-Propelled Train (from Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury) A silent means of mass transit. |
| 1953 | Homeostatic Newspaper (from If There Were No Benny Cemoli by Philip K. Dick) An autonomous news-gathering and publishing entity; abbreviated as homeopape. |
| 1953 | Lens Image (from Second Foundation by Isaac Asimov) A presentation of the night sky, calculated for any planet or point in space. |
| 1953 | Robot Psyche Tester (from Colony by Philip K. Dick) An automated psychiatric evaluation device. |
| 1953 | Leady (from The Defenders by Philip K. Dick) A radiation-resistant robot. |
| 1953 | Private Flyer (from Childhood's End by Arthur C. Clarke) A privately-owned air vehicle that used no control surfaces for maneuvering. |
| 1953 | Gravity-Simulator Harness (from Space Tug by Murray Leinster) Device that simulates gravity's effect on muscles to keep in shape while in space. |
| 1953 | Space Flight Simulator (from Space Tug by Murray Leinster) Very early description of a way to practice flying in space while still on Earth. |
| 1953 | Robot Door (from Colony by Philip K. Dick) Automated door has some decision-making capabilities, in addition to speech recognition capabilities. |
| 1953 | Short-Wave Surgical Knife (from Boomerang (A Great Deal of Power) by Eric Frank Russell) A means of performing an internal cut without breaking the skin. |
| 1953 | The Shed (from Space Tug by Murray Leinster) Enormous building needed to assemble giant space craft or space stations. |
| 1953 | Self-Sufficient House (from Childhood's End by Arthur C. Clarke) A single family residence that required no surrounding infrastructure. |
| 1953 | Big Flue (from Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury) Enormous incinerators serviced directly by helicopter. |
| 1953 | Sunlight Blocker (from Childhood's End by Arthur C. Clarke) A roughly circular field which denies sunlight to an area of a planet. |
| 1953 | Autonomous Car Intercommunication (from Sally by Isaac Asimov) Automatic cars talk to each other about everything. |
| 1953 | Self-Cleaning Autonomous Car (from Sally by Isaac Asimov) An automatic vehicle that keeps itself clean. |
| 1953 | Galactography (from Second Foundation by Isaac Asimov) Geography on a galactic scale. |
| 1953 | Positronic Motor (from Sally by Isaac Asimov) A combination of motor and brain; an engine with a cerebellum and a carburetor. |
| 1953 | Voice in the Ear (from Childhood's End by Arthur C. Clarke) Project a voice or sound to one individual's ears only. |
| 1953 | Green Bullet (from Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury) A very compact (for 1950) radio transceiver, worn in the ear like a hearing aid. |
| 1953 | Rolov (from Roll Out the Rolov! by Christopher Anvil) A specialized robot for the bedroom. |
| 1953 | Sliver Gun (from The Unreliable Perfumist by Margaret St. Clair) A firearm that shoots fine darts. |
| 1953 | Planet Buster (from Assignment to Aldebaran by Kendall Foster Crossen) A bomb so powerful it could destroy a planet. |
| 1953 | Plasta-Skin (from Star Rangers (The Last Planet) by Andre Norton) Artificial Skin |
| 1953 | Voice-Activated Door (from Assignment to Aldebaran by Kendall Foster Crossen) A door that opens upon verbal command. |
| 1953 | Morality Rating-Computer (from Assignment to Aldebaran by Kendall Foster Crossen) A computer system able to determine moral deviancy. |
| 1953 | Control Screen (from Childhood's End by Arthur C. Clarke) An alien display device. |
| 1953 | Buttered Toast Robot (from Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury) What it says on the tin. |
| 1953 | Robant (from The Impossible Planet by Philip K. Dick) A robotic servant. |
| 1953 | Worldcraft Bubble (from The Trouble With Bubbles by Philip K. Dick) An incredibly detailed mechanical simulation of a world. |
| 1953 | Zero-G Cups (from Space Tug by Murray Leinster) Cups that were specially designed to be usable under zero gravity conditions. |
| 1953 | Sideglance Robe (from The Trouble With Bubbles by Philip K. Dick) A dress that is invisible or opaque, depending on how you look at it. |
| 1953 | Electronic-Eyed Snake (from Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury) A fully automated stomach pump. |
| 1953 | Space Wagon (from Space Tug by Murray Leinster) A space vehicle without a cabin, used for short-range towing. |
| 1953 | Dirtside (from Starman Jones by Robert Heinlein) The surface of a planet. |
| 1953 | Transcriber (from Second Foundation by Isaac Asimov) A automated transcriptionist - a machine which perfectly translates human speech into words on paper. |
| 1953 | Prime Radiant (from Second Foundation by Isaac Asimov) A projector that puts all of a vast collection of writings on the wall of a special conference room. You could interact with it by writing on the wall; changes were stored. |
| 1953 | Mechanical Hound (from Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury) An eight-legged robotic "hound" with hypodermic poison fangs. |
| 1953 | Parlor Wall (TV Parlor) (from Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury) The original "big screen TV" takes up an entire wall of a room. |
| 1953 | Yeast-Culture Vats (from Caves of Steel by Isaac Asimov) Using cultured yeast as the basis for food production. |
| 1953 | Merc-Pool (from Caves of Steel by Isaac Asimov) A device that stores information in vibration patterns on a mercury surface. |
| 1953 | Brains (Computer) (from The Cosmic Blinker by Eando Binder) An electronic brain that is able to do problem solving. This idea seems to be the impetus behind current artificial intelligence that seeks to solve problems, rather than to simulate human intelligenc |
| 1953 | Artificially Pulsating Star (from The Cosmic Blinker by Eando Binder) A star that has been modified to pulsate with a message to the entire universe. |
| 1953 | Seashell Radio (Thimble Radios) (from Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury) Small radios that fit into the ears like hearing aids or ear buds. |
| 1953 | Automatobile (from Sally by Isaac Asimov) An autonomous private car. |
| 1954 | Synapsis-Coils (from Last of the Masters by Philip K. Dick) Human-like storage for computers. |
| 1954 | Guide-Beam (from Time Pawn by Philip K. Dick) A wireless means of controlling and directing the movement of a passenger vehicle. |
| 1954 | Radiant (from The Houses of Iszm by Jack Vance) A chip that is injected into the shoulder, providing positioning and information about the subject. |
| 1954 | Hypno-Motor Control (from Sales Pitch by Philip K. Dick) A means of controlling the body remotely, cutting off the need for local control (ie, by your mind). |
| 1954 | Hopper (from Lucky Starr and the Oceans of Venus by Isaac Asimov) A vehicle with a single leg and rotors to enhance 'hang time.' |
| 1954 | Pod-Chair (from The Houses of Iszm by Jack Vance) A living chair, grown by the Iszc to perform its function. |
| 1954 | Prethink (from The Golden Man by Philip K. Dick) The ability to predict the future in a routine perceptual manner. |
| 1954 | Lash-Tube (from The Golden Man by Philip K. Dick) Device emits an energy beam. |
| 1954 | Suit-Shield Fabric (from The Golden Man by Philip K. Dick) A kind of mesh fabric that could absorb energy bolts. |
| 1954 | Central Guide-Beam (from Shell Game by Philip K. Dick) A kind of signal that demonstrates the best possible path to a destination in space and even provides motive power. |
| 1954 | Consumption Robots (from The Midas Plague by Frederik Pohl) Humanoid robots placed in the position of consuming material goods to relieve human beings of the burden. |
| 1954 | Automatic Companion Robot (from The Midas Plague by Frederik Pohl) A robotic replacement for a pet or friend. |
| 1954 | TBR (Talk Between Robots) Circuit (from The Midas Plague by Frederik Pohl) A special means of communications used by robots to speak with each other. |
| 1954 | Law Clerk Robot (from The Midas Plague by Frederik Pohl) A robotic lawyer. |
| 1954 | Sentry Trees (from The Houses of Iszm by Jack Vance) A set of trees that will allow only those with the safe signal to pass. |
| 1954 | Self-Selling Robot (from Sales Pitch by Philip K. Dick) A robot that sells itself. |
| 1954 | Sales Robot (Robot Salesman) (from Sales Pitch by Philip K. Dick) Fully automated robots giving untiring, incessant sales pitches to customers. |
| 1954 | Inorganic Evolution (from The Invincible by Stanislaw Lem) A process by which robots could alter their own structure, or the ways that they interact with other robots, to adapt to a changing world. |
| 1954 | Metal Insects (from The Invincible by Stanislaw Lem) Small autonomous flying winged robots. |
| 1954 | Mnemonic Service (from Sucker Bait by Isaac Asimov) Dedicated humans who collected bits of data in hopes of catching key correlations between fields of study. |
| 1954 | Nanomachine Swarm (Black Cloud) (from The Invincible by Stanislaw Lem) A cloud of tiny machines, able to work together autonomously. |
| 1954 | Tri-Type Record (from The Houses of Iszm by Jack Vance) A printed card that stores information about a person, including a perfect three-dimensional representation. |
| 1954 | Radiant Shield (from The Houses of Iszm by Jack Vance) A device that would effectively prevent an implanted radiant from being detected or read. |
| 1954 | Compassion Circuit (from Compassion Circuit by John Wyndham) A special robotic component that allows the robot to weigh harm and benefit in carrying out commands. |
| 1954 | Feeler-Planes (from The Houses of Iszm by Jack Vance) Special sensors that make extremely detailed three-dimensional models. |
| 1954 | Plastirobe (from Sales Pitch by Philip K. Dick) A dress that varies in opacity by distance. |
| 1954 | Visual Ad (from Sales Pitch by Philip K. Dick) An advertisement that forces its way directly into the brain of the viewer. |
| 1954 | Commute Ship (from Sales Pitch by Philip K. Dick) Spacecraft used for traversing daily grind between Earth and the planet you work on. |
| 1954 | Retinal Vid-Screen (from Sales Pitch by Philip K. Dick) A tiny display surgically implanted directly in the retina of the eye. |
| 1954 | Mechanical Bride (from The Mechanical Bride by Fritz Leiber) A perfect robotic replica of a woman. |
| 1954 | Web (Data Network) (from Souvenir by Philip K. Dick) An information network. |
| 1954 | Time Quake (from Breakfast at Twilight by Philip K. Dick) Too much energy applied to a time-fault may have started this. |
| 1954 | Tanglefoot Field (from The Star Beast by Robert Heinlein) A force field that would not harm but merely entangle and stop anyone (or anything) caught in it. |
| 1954 | Snake Boring Truck (from Breakfast at Twilight by Philip K. Dick) A long thin truck like a snake, with a boring tip. |
| 1954 | Gravity neutralizing paint (from Last of the Masters by Philip K. Dick) Paint or coating that neutralized the effects of gravity on whatever it was painted on. |
| 1954 | Rom (Robot Operated Missiles) (from Breakfast at Twilight by Philip K. Dick) Intercontinental robotic weapons. |
| 1954 | Mecho-Clothing (from Last of the Masters by Philip K. Dick) Apparel created entirely by machines. |
| 1954 | Universal Dictionary (from The Star Beast by Robert Heinlein) A machine that provided references to anything known. |
| 1954 | Trace Web (from Souvenir by Philip K. Dick) A small, handheld device that contacts (and even instantiates) the larger network. |
| 1954 | Reading Plate (from The Star Beast by Robert Heinlein) A flat screen that provided computer output for viewing. |
| 1954 | Thought Pattern Divination (from The Houses of Iszm by Jack Vance) Attempting to construct the thoughts of a person by imitating their actions. |
| 1954 | Histo-Research (from The Meddler by Philip K. Dick) Historical research using a time machine. |
| 1954 | Human Quarter (from James P. Crow by Philip K. Dick) A ghetto for human beings; in this case, in a world of robots. |
| 1954 | Mother-Scanner (from The Turning Wheel by Philip K. Dick) A device that can see your future through your next birth. |
| 1954 | Robot Farmer (from The Turning Wheel by Philip K. Dick) A humanoid robot used for agriculture. |
| 1954 | Robot Guard (from The Turning Wheel by Philip K. Dick) Very early reference to a guard robot. |
| 1954 | Mechanical Tune-Maker (from Last of the Masters by Philip K. Dick) An electromechanical device that created unique music. |
| 1954 | Anti-Gerasone (from Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.) Cheap immortality comes to your neighborhood convenience store. |
| 1954 | One-Man Car (from The Houses of Iszm by Jack Vance) A small transport vehicle. |
| 1954 | Sceneshifter (from Last of the Masters by Philip K. Dick) An automated display device that produced random pictorial presentations. |
| 1954 | Public Vehicle Tube (from The Houses of Iszm by Jack Vance) Underground transportation tubes. |
| 1954 | Boat-Tree (from The Houses of Iszm by Jack Vance) A tree, the pods of which can be grown as boats. |
| 1954 | Finger Jet Bath (from The Houses of Iszm by Jack Vance) The ultimate in luxury tubs. |
| 1954 | Polarized Window (from The Houses of Iszm by Jack Vance) Rather than curtains, use the window to control the light. |
| 1954 | Temporal Paradox (from The Toy by Brian Berry) The paradoxical idea that making changes in the past results in changes in the present. |
| 1954 | Voicewriter Screen (Computer Monitor) (from Granny Won't Knit by Theodore Sturgeon) A screen that displays characters. |
| 1954 | The Dip (from The Meddler by Philip K. Dick) A device that randomly dredges up things from the past... or the future. |
| 1954 | Maid-Robot (from The Midas Plague by Frederik Pohl) A mechanical automaton does the work of a lady's maid. |
| 1954 | Copter Harness (from The Star Beast by Robert Heinlein) A single person flying machine. |
| 1954 | Shatter-Gun (from The Houses of Iszm by Jack Vance) A hand-held device that literally scrambles the brains of the victim. |
| 1954 | Cephaloscope (from The Houses of Iszm by Jack Vance) A device used to detect lying. |
| 1954 | One-Way Passage (from The Houses of Iszm by Jack Vance) A different way to assure permanent egress. |
| 1954 | Truth Meter (from The Star Beast by Robert Heinlein) A lie detector. |
| 1954 | Roboscribe (from End as a Robot by Richard Marsten) A robotic writer of hard-bitten detective yarns. |
| 1954 | Solar-Powered Ball (from Dawn of the Demigods by Raymond Z. Gallun) An autonomous round toy that powers itself. |
| 1954 | Click-Band (from The Meddler by Philip K. Dick) Worn on the wrist, it helps you locate your transport. |
| 1954 | Relay (from Souvenir by Philip K. Dick) A central information system used to coordinate all of human culture and technology. |
| 1954 | Spacelanes Traffic Jam (from Sales Pitch by Philip K. Dick) Fanciful description of commuters in space. |
| 1954 | Micro-Android (Micro-Robot) (from Dawn of the Demigods by Raymond Z. Gallun) An extremely tiny robot or nanobot. |
| 1954 | Airmakers (from The Big Rain by Poul Anderson) Machine to create breathable air from the constituent materials on an alien planet. |
| 1954 | Protoplast (from Dawn of the Demigods by Raymond Z. Gallun) Artificial life, tougher than protoplasm. |
| 1954 | Space Capsule (from Space Capsule by E.R. James) A minimal space craft. |
| 1954 | Spaceward Lunar Hemisphere (from Dawn of the Demigods by Raymond Z. Gallun) Another name for the lunar far side. |
| 1954 | Control Helmet (from Dawn of the Demigods by Raymond Z. Gallun) Direct control of a robot from the brain. |
| 1954 | Bodyphone (from The Star Beast by Robert Heinlein) A unique designation for a personal phone you can carry with you. |
| 1954 | Jiffi-scuttler (from Prominent Author by Philip K. Dick) A device providing near instantaneous travel between two points. |
| 1954 | Robot Cab Driver (from A Present for Pat by Philip K. Dick) You think you have problems? Robots have the worst problems of anyone. |
| 1954 | Escape Pod (from The Vanisher by Michael Shaara) A small automated ship attached to a larger ship or station, used in the event of an emergency. |
| 1954 | House Trees (from The Houses of Iszm by Jack Vance) Living trees grown as houses; large hollow pods serve as living spaces. |
| 1954 | Dermal-Mist Spray (from Prominent Author by Philip K. Dick) Very refreshing for suburbanites. |
| 1955 | Finely Divided Dust Propellant (from Earthlight by Arthur C. Clarke) Reaction mass to drive spacecraft. |
| 1955 | Machines Colonize Universe (from Autofac by Philip K. Dick) A brief description of a how automated machines might spread. |
| 1955 | Unit Analyst Robot (from The Chromium Fence by Philip K. Dick) A robotic psychoanalyst. |
| 1955 | Slide Rule w/Radio Attachment (from Mission to the Stars by A.E. van Vogt) Slide rule communicates results immediately with computer. |
| 1955 | Robot Gardener (from War Veteran by Philip K. Dick) An autonomous gardening robot, taking care of plants in parks or fields. |
| 1955 | Synthimeat (Crop Protein) (from Lazarus by Margaret St. Clair) A more general name for synthetic meat |
| 1955 | Stiletto Beam (from Earthlight by Arthur C. Clarke) A beam of molten metal, projected electromagnetically. |
| 1955 | Robot Surgeon-Hand (from War Veteran by Philip K. Dick) A skilled surgical robot that attaches at the end of the surgeon's arm. |
| 1955 | Dashboard TV (from The Chromium Fence by Philip K. Dick) A television placed in the dashboard of your car or similar vehicle. |
| 1955 | Grill-Screen Adaptor (from Foster, You're Dead by Philip K. Dick) Approved General Electronics Corporation solution for bomb shelters, in response to Soviet bore-pellets. |
| 1955 | Bore-Pellets (from Foster, You're Dead by Philip K. Dick) Anti-underground bomb shelter ordinance. |
| 1955 | Network Repair Team (from Autofac by Philip K. Dick) Dispatched to collect remains of destroyed machines. |
| 1955 | Juiciveal (from Lazarus by Margaret St. Clair) Artificially grown veal. |
| 1955 | Caterwheel (from Sand Doom by Murray Leinster) A uniquely styled ground vehicle with fat, splayed out tires. |
| 1955 | Ramsbotham Gate (from Tunnel in the Sky by Robert Heinlein) A means of getting from point A to point B without traversing the space in-between. |
| 1955 | Autonomous Truck (from Autofac by Philip K. Dick) A truck that drives itself and unloads itself. |
| 1955 | Mechavalet (from The Angry House by Richard R. Smith) An entirely automated dressing assistant. |
| 1955 | Anti-Burglar Installations (from The Angry House by Richard R. Smith) Every electronic house should have automated defenses. |
| 1955 | Trion Library (from The Magellanic Cloud by Stanislaw Lem) An early visualization of the Internet. |
| 1955 | Pocket Receiver (from The Magellanic Cloud by Stanislaw Lem) An early visualization of the smartphone. |
| 1955 | Cold-Beam (from War Veteran by Philip K. Dick) Puts a cloud of extreme cold around the target. |
| 1955 | Mechanical Newsmachine (from Foster, You're Dead by Philip K. Dick) An automated device that delivers on-the-spot news. |
| 1955 | Scout-Base (from Diabologic by Eric Frank Russell) Artificial sphere functions as a frontier outpost. |
| 1955 | Diabological Armory (from Diabologic by Eric Frank Russell) A set of verbal tools based on a higher form of reasoning. |
| 1955 | Heat-Suit (from Sand Doom by Murray Leinster) Perfect for those incredibly hot planets with breathable atmospheres. |
| 1955 | Artibase (from War Veteran by Philip K. Dick) An artificial asteroid base between planets. |
| 1955 | Water Brain Fountain (from War Veteran by Philip K. Dick) A drinking fountain that locates your mouth, rather than you having to lean down to the spout. |
| 1955 | Chest-Lens (from War Veteran by Philip K. Dick) Part of an automatic photograph-and-send system. |
| 1955 | Schrieber Analyzer (from Diabologic by Eric Frank Russell) Superior automatic air testing - for the discriminating space traveler. |
| 1955 | Production Prescription (from The Magellanic Cloud by Stanislaw Lem) A file that can be used to reproduce an object. |
| 1955 | Probe Screen Hood (from The Hood Maker ('Immunity') by Philip K. Dick) A device that blocks attempts to see into the contents of the brain mind. |
| 1955 | Lunar Monorail (from Earthlight by Arthur C. Clarke) A monorail constructed above the surface of the Moon. |
| 1955 | Robot Taxi (from Solar Lottery by Philip K. Dick) A taxicab with a robotic driver. |
| 1955 | Neck-Phone (from The Chromium Fence by Philip K. Dick) An implanted telecommunications device. |
| 1955 | Commute Disk (from The Chromium Fence by Philip K. Dick) Flying autonomous commuter vehicle. |
| 1955 | Agile Recording Robot (from Solar Lottery by Philip K. Dick) A recording machine that moves toward its subject. |
| 1955 | Inflatable Lunar Resort (from Solar Lottery by Philip K. Dick) An inflatable structure on the moon, intended to provide rest and relaxation to lunar residents. |
| 1955 | Artigraft (from Solar Lottery by Philip K. Dick) Artificial skin graft. |
| 1955 | Hand Wave Control (from Solar Lottery by Philip K. Dick) Control an electronic or other device with gestures. |
| 1955 | Visual Report Screen (from Nanny by Philip K. Dick) A device that allows a robot nanny to let the owners view what the robot sees from a remote location. |
| 1955 | Nanny Robot (from Nanny by Philip K. Dick) A child-care robot with a surprisingly competitive side. |
| 1955 | Protine (from Solar Lottery by Philip K. Dick) A mutant algae that can be engineered to look and taste similar to normal food. |
| 1955 | Magnetic Grapple-Beams (from Solar Lottery by Philip K. Dick) Short range magnetic field to guide flying cars and park them properly. |
| 1955 | Swibble (from Service Call by Philip K. Dick) An artificially evolved telepathic metazoan-based mind control device. |
| 1955 | Autofac (Nanorobots) (from Autofac by Philip K. Dick) Very small robots working on self-replication |
| 1955 | Central City (Lunar Habitat) (from Earthlight by Arthur C. Clarke) An early example of a non-military lunar habitat. |
| 1955 | Monocab (from Earthlight by Arthur C. Clarke) A single compartment monorail car. |
| 1955 | Search-Bug (from Autofac by Philip K. Dick) An exploratory robot. |
| 1955 | Electronic Analogue of Living Brain (from The Tunnel Under The World by Frederik Pohl) Imposing the abilities of a human brain into a computer |
| 1955 | Automatic Factory (from Autofac by Philip K. Dick) Manufacturing facility that functions entirely autonomously. |
| 1955 | Automatic Ore Cart (from Autofac by Philip K. Dick) An autonomous truck for raw ore processing. |
| 1955 | Pizzled (Semantic Garble) (from Autofac by Philip K. Dick) Use of nonsensical statements to deliberately confuse an artificial intelligence. |
| 1955 | Synthetic Milk (from Autofac by Philip K. Dick) Milk made without cows. |
| 1955 | Landing-Grid (from Sand Doom by Murray Leinster) A constructed landing area on a planetary surface for space craft. |
| 1955 | Robot Factory Representative (from Autofac by Philip K. Dick) An ambulatory agent of an automatic factory. |
| 1955 | Raw Material-Tropic (from Autofac by Philip K. Dick) Moves towards desirable raw materials. |
| 1955 | Guard Robot (from The Hood Maker ('Immunity') by Philip K. Dick) Early reference to a robot performing the functions of a security guard. |
| 1955 | Multivac (from Franchise by Isaac Asimov) A computer with millions of facts. |
| 1955 | Simulacrum Window (from Tunnel in the Sky by Robert Heinlein) A 'window' that provides a realistic outdoor view in an interior room. |
| 1955 | Space Craft Rope Ladder (from Diabologic by Eric Frank Russell) Equipment used for debarking from a space craft. |
| 1955 | Light-Absorbing Paint (from Earthlight by Arthur C. Clarke) Space stealth! |
| 1955 | Automatized Factory (from The Tunnel Under The World by Frederik Pohl) A factory consisting of machines with imposed human abilities. |
| 1955 | Human Habit Pattern Machines (from The Tunnel Under The World by Frederik Pohl) Imposing human habits onto machines. |
| 1955 | Generation Ship (from Star Ship by E.C. Tubb) A spacecraft that carries a complete social group over many years. |
| 1956 | Saga (from The City and the Stars by Arthur C. Clarke) You become a part of the great adventures of history. |
| 1956 | Refurbished Nervous System (from The Stars My Destination by Alfred Bester) Your nerves are rewired for 5-10 times the speed of a normal person. |
| 1956 | Central Computer (from The City and the Stars by Arthur C. Clarke) A computer capable of running an entire city. |
| 1956 | Hired Girl Robot (from The Door Into Summer by Robert Heinlein) The amazing floor-cleaning robot! |
| 1956 | Maximum-security Booth (from Double Star by Robert Heinlein) A special phone booth for receiving high-security, scrambled telephone calls, calls which included 3D visuals. |
| 1956 | Matter Organizer (from The City and the Stars by Arthur C. Clarke) A device that could cause a computer-generated image to be constructed as a real object. |
| 1956 | Sympathetic Block (from The Stars My Destination by Alfred Bester) A way to keep certain mental contents from being spoken or revealed. |
| 1956 | Analogue (from The Stars My Destination by Alfred Bester) A combination of a drug and a particular mental state allow a person to devolve to an animal level of their choice. |
| 1956 | PyrE (from The Stars My Destination by Alfred Bester) A thermonuclear explosive that is detonated by thought alone. |
| 1956 | Diaspar Memory (from The City and the Stars by Arthur C. Clarke) The city's memory could store works of art, and reproduce them upon request. |
| 1956 | Window-Willie (from The Door Into Summer by Robert Heinlein) A robot that cleaned windows by electrostatic repulsion of dust and grime. |
| 1956 | Robot Bartender (from The Stars My Destination by Alfred Bester) An automated, mechanical bar tending robot. |
| 1956 | Eager Beaver (from The Door Into Summer by Robert Heinlein) Your friendly robot helper. |
| 1956 | Drafting Dan (from The Door Into Summer by Robert Heinlein) The first computer software drafting program (Computer Aided Design - CAD). |
| 1956 | Universal Checkbook (from The Door Into Summer by Robert Heinlein) Fully electronic banking system, which allows easy withdrawal of funds from any bank. |
| 1956 | Teakettle (from Double Star by Robert Heinlein) A standard rocket (uses hydrogen as a booster to leave the atmosphere). |
| 1956 | Cider Press (from Double Star by Robert Heinlein) Device used to make acceleration above 1 gravity more tolerable for groundhogs. |
| 1956 | Dental Switchboard (from The Stars My Destination by Alfred Bester) A control device tied in with teeth and nerve endings. |
| 1956 | Blue Collar Robot (Self-Repairing) (from The Velvet Glove by Harry Harrison) An autonomous robot required to find its own work. |
| 1956 | Internal Body Power Pack (from The Stars My Destination by Alfred Bester) A tiny battery used to power implants. |
| 1956 | Hush Corner (from Double Star by Robert Heinlein) A space made private by canceling sound waves in that area. |
| 1956 | Bounce Tube (from Double Star by Robert Heinlein) A people-sized pneumatic tube system used for short, quick trips in the vertical dimension. |
| 1956 | Precrime Analytical Wing (from The Minority Report by Philip K. Dick) Contains the precognitives and the machinery need to hear and analyze their predictions of future crimes. |
| 1956 | Stasis (Cold Sleep, Hibernation) (from The Door Into Summer by Robert Heinlein) Hibernation for human beings, lasting for many years. |
| 1956 | Planet-Busting Bomb (from Testing by J.J. Ferrat) A munition with sufficient power to destroy an entire planet. |
| 1956 | Jaunte Stage (from The Stars My Destination by Alfred Bester) A cleared space that existed to serve the needs of people who would jaunte (teleport) into that space. |
| 1956 | Sargasso Asteroid (from The Stars My Destination by Alfred Bester) A planetoid built from natural rock and the salvaged wreckage of space craft. |
| 1956 | Vacutubes (from Double Star by Robert Heinlein) A system of public transportation that used partially evacuated tubes and capsules big enough for passengers. |
| 1956 | Invulnerable Wall (from Jackpot by Clifford Simak) A material created by insects that grew stronger as it was compressed. |
| 1956 | Planet Rules (from Drop Dead by Clifford Simak) Regulations governing the behavior of the away team on a new planet. |
| 1956 | Flexible Frank (from The Door Into Summer by Robert Heinlein) An all-purpose household robot. |
| 1956 | Robotic Hand (from The Door Into Summer by Robert Heinlein) A dexterous manipulator for robots. |
| 1956 | Alcoholic Reliever (from Bad Medicine by Robert Sheckley) Mechanized relief from alcoholism. |
| 1956 | Mechanotherapy (from Bad Medicine by Robert Sheckley) A mechanism or device-based therapy that cures (or palliates) alcoholism. |
| 1956 | Living Advertising Character (from The Stars My Destination by Alfred Bester) Modifying an ordinary person to create a living likeness of a company's brand symbol or character. |
| 1956 | Rex Regenerator (Mechanotherapist) (from Bad Medicine by Robert Sheckley) Mechanotherapy device cures homicidal urges. |
| 1956 | Home Therapy Appliances, Inc. (from Bad Medicine by Robert Sheckley) A store at which a variety of therapy devices are made available |
| 1956 | Biltong Life Form (from Pay for the Printer by Philip K. Dick) Remarkable organic manufacturing aliens, probably indigenous to the Centaurus system. |
| 1956 | Thorsen Memory Tube (from The Door Into Summer by Robert Heinlein) Computer component that allows a machine to learn through experience. |
| 1956 | Regen-Buds (from The Velvet Glove by Harry Harrison) Small collection of cells that can regrow into human limbs. |
| 1956 | Radioactive Coding for Checks (from The Door Into Summer by Robert Heinlein) Special coding system to easily recognize checks. |
| 1956 | Juvenile (from The Man Who Japed by Philip K. Dick) A robot designed to sneak around and spy on people. |
| 1956 | Space-Beacon (from Exploration Team by Murray Leinster) Device used to guide a space craft into finding an inhabited planet or colony on a planet. |
| 1956 | Fottengill Process (from Gypped by Lloyd Biggle, Jr.) An early mention of the idea that energy can be derived from random noise. |
| 1956 | Space-Boat (Rocket Boat) (from Exploration Team by Murray Leinster) Small craft designed for descent and then take-off from a planetary surface. |
| 1956 | Vehicle Sleep Sensor (from The Velvet Glove by Harry Harrison) Better stay awake, the machines know if you're sleeping. |
| 1956 | Anti-Heptant (from To Live Forever by Jack Vance) A compound that erases specific areas of the brain. |
| 1956 | Slug (from Dragon in the Sea by Frank Herbert) An underwater "barge", consisting of a giant tube for transporting oil. |
| 1956 | Mutated Kodiak Bears (from Exploration Team by Murray Leinster) Animals modified for increased intelligence for defense and companionship. |
| 1956 | Hand Computer (from The Dead Past by Isaac Asimov) A small pocket-sized computing device. |
| 1956 | Puddinged (from Pay for the Printer by Philip K. Dick) A poorly formed 3D printed copy, with an interior that was a mass of malformed material. |
| 1956 | Electrotruck (from The Corkscrew of Space by Poul Anderson) An autonomous, electric truck. |
| 1956 | Bug (from Brightside Crossing by Alan E. Nourse) A compact vehicle for planetary surfaces - like Mercury. |
| 1956 | Retinal Light (from The Stars My Destination by Alfred Bester) An internal flashlight. |
| 1956 | Virtual Immortality (from The City and the Stars by Arthur C. Clarke) A method for storing the mind and memories of a person, and recalling and reconstituting them at will. |
| 1956 | Disposal-Safe (from Exploration Team by Murray Leinster) Device to store and, if necessary, destroy documents. |
| 1956 | Floating Lunar Dust (from Dust Rag by Hal Clement) Electrostatically charged particles that float above the surface of the Moon. |
| 1956 | Precog (from The Minority Report by Philip K. Dick) A person with precognitive ability (can predict the future). |
| 1956 | Life Wand (from Double Star by Robert Heinlein) Shoots a powerful ray of energy. |
| 1956 | Mechanical Jokester (from Jokester by Isaac Asimov) A vast computer system learns about humor. |
| 1956 | Robots Learn With Cameras (from The Instigators by Raymond E. Banks) Robots learn new actions by recording them with a camera, doing away with expensive programming. |
| 1956 | Robot Row - Robots For Consumers (from The Instigators by Raymond E. Banks) The adoption curve for personal robots will accelerate like the curve for automobiles. |
| 1956 | Precrime (from The Minority Report by Philip K. Dick) A system by which criminal acts are known before they occur. |
| 1956 | Whisper Line (from The Stars My Destination by Alfred Bester) A means of communication between prisoners held in wide separation. |
| 1956 | Undercover Detective Robot (from The Velvet Glove by Harry Harrison) Specialized robot masquerades as different robot types to spy on criminals. |
| 1956 | Bard (from Someday by Isaac Asimov) A machine that invents randomized stories and can read them out loud or animate them for viewing. |
| 1956 | Robot Interception Aerial Mines (from The World Jones Made by Philip K. Dick) Loitering explosives overhead. |
| 1956 | Tune-Maker (from The World Jones Made by Philip K. Dick) Automated music production. |
| 1956 | Lethe-Mirror (from The World Jones Made by Philip K. Dick) Induces sleepy mindedness. |
| 1956 | Post-Crime (from The Minority Report by Philip K. Dick) Criminal activities after they have actually happened. |
| 1956 | Solido (from Chance of a Lifetime by Milton Lesser) Abbr. for solidograph; a device that produced a solid three dimensional image. |
| 1956 | Trolling Tether Cable (from Atom Drive by Charles Fontenay) Simple fishing technique applied to moving cargo off-planet. |
| 1956 | Hypersee (from The Best of Fences by Gordon Randall Garrett) Faster than light. |
| 1956 | Chronoscopy (from The Dead Past by Isaac Asimov) Using a device to view different points in time. |
| 1956 | Underwater Robot (from The Velvet Glove by Harry Harrison) An autonomous mechanical for use underwater. |
| 1956 | Bendix Anxiety Reducer (from Bad Medicine by Robert Sheckley) Machine-based psychotherapy. |
| 1956 | Robot Fish (Metal Fish) (from Atom Drive by Charles Fontenay) Fake flounders for sport fishermen on Martian canals. |
| 1956 | Empath (from Empath by J.T. McIntosh) A being capable of telepathic empathy with others. |
| 1956 | Landing Pit (Drydock and Construction) (from The Stars My Destination by Alfred Bester) A cylindrical hole with anti-gravity screens for use in spacecraft landings and repair. |
| 1956 | Eagle With Camera (from Exploration Team by Murray Leinster) A live bald eagle equipped with a transmitting camera. |
| 1956 | Fusion Power (from The Judas Valley by Gerald Vance) Creating energy from nuclear fusion reactions. |
| 1957 | Robot-Referee (from Jingle in the Jungle by Aldo Giunta) An autonomous robot judge at athletic events. |
| 1957 | Gravity-Polarized Explosive (TDX) (from Cities in Flight by James Blish) A chemical explosive that acts at an angle to the local gravitational field. |
| 1957 | Magnetic Control of Nebulae (from The Black Cloud by Fred Hoyle) Controlling the structure and shape of nebulae using magnetic fields. |
| 1957 | Robot Situation Neurosis (from The Unreconstructed M by Philip K. Dick) Robots go mad when given competing instructions. |
| 1957 | Storer-Gulls Wings (from The Menace From Earth by Robert Heinlein) Recreational aid for lunar colonists; lightweight wings for cave flying. |
| 1957 | Fight Machine (Boxing Robot) (from Jingle in the Jungle by Aldo Giunta) An autonomous boxer. |
| 1957 | The Machine (M) (from The Unreconstructed M by Philip K. Dick) An autonomous robot able to alter its appearance and functionality at will. |
| 1957 | Police Detection Robot (from The Unreconstructed M by Philip K. Dick) An automated evidence-gathering robot. |
| 1957 | Fenton Silencer (from Tales from the White Hart by Arthur C. Clarke) A device to cancel noise over a broad area. |
| 1957 | Phymech (from Wanted in Surgery by Harlan Ellison) A robotic physician. |
| 1957 | Flying Cone (from Fugitive of the Stars by Edmond Hamilton) A vehicle for 1-3 persons that hovers and has mechanical arms. |
| 1957 | Spindizzy (from Cities in Flight by James Blish) A device that made use of a relationship between electron spin, electromagnetism and gravity allowed any object to leave the Earth's surface. |
| 1957 | City Fathers (from Cities in Flight by James Blish) A set of computer systems which run every mechanical system in a city. |
| 1957 | Automated Factories (from The Peacemongers by Poul Anderson) Manufacturing facilities that do not require human workers. |
| 1957 | Planetary Computer Network (from Dialogues by Stanislaw Lem) A global data net. |
| 1957 | Launching Cradle (from Needler by Gordon Randall Garrett) A place for a spherical space craft to sit in gravity. |
| 1957 | Prosthetic Robotic Arm (Thought-Attuned) (from Bleekman's Planet by Ivar Jorgensen) A detachable robotic arm, controlled directly through neural linkage. |
| 1957 | Galactovue (from Citizen of the Galaxy by Robert Heinlein) Star display. |
| 1957 | Oxygen Pill (from Get Out Of Our Skies! by E.K. Jarvis) Meets your need for oxygen without additional breathing. |
| 1957 | Spacefaring (from Citizen of the Galaxy by Robert Heinlein) A nation or people who explore and trade in space. |
| 1957 | Robocop (from Wanted in Surgery by Harlan Ellison) A robotic police officer. |
| 1957 | Mechanical Cleaning Device (from The Unreconstructed M by Philip K. Dick) A small, ground-based autonomous robot doing basic janitorial work. |
| 1957 | Lunar Advertisement (from Watch This Space by Arthur C. Clarke) An 'ad' on the lunar surface that can be seen by its audience on Earth. |
| 1957 | Stellar Analog Computers (from The Lady Was A Tramp by Rose Sharon) Special systems used to calculate safe "jumps" for interstellar trips. |
| 1957 | Jump-Along (from The Lady Was A Tramp by Rose Sharon) Computer used for calculating jumps between stars. |
| 1957 | Jumpship (from The Lady Was A Tramp by Rose Sharon) A spaceship capable of making interstellar jumps, that is, it could move over vast distances instantaneously. |
| 1957 | Dropshaft (from Deeper Than the Darkness by Harlan Ellison) An elevator shaft with no elevator - the "lift" is from gravity or suppressed inertia. |
| 1957 | Bethé blasters (from Cities in Flight by James Blish) Powerful enough to destroy a flying city. |
| 1957 | Gravity Well (from Life Cycle by Poul Anderson) If you visualize spacetime as a flat, elastic plane, a planet will deform it, and it sits at the bottom of its own hole. |
| 1957 | Neural Door Lock (from The Unreconstructed M by Philip K. Dick) A device that provides access based on neurological data. |
| 1957 | Death-Rattle (from The Unreconstructed M by Philip K. Dick) A device that sends a signal upon brain death of the user. |
| 1957 | Remote Control Taxicab (from The Unreconstructed M by Philip K. Dick) A cab that is piloted by a remote operator. |
| 1957 | Jurymech (from Wanted in Surgery by Harlan Ellison) A robotic entity serving the function of a trial jury. |
| 1957 | Eavesdropper (from Cities in Flight by James Blish) Device to detect the presence of recording devices. |
| 1957 | Crop Algae (from Cities in Flight by James Blish) Growing algae in tanks as a source of basic food stock. |
| 1957 | Brood Assembly (from Cities in Flight by James Blish) Artificially intelligent computers that can replicate themselves. |
| 1957 | Machine Surveillance (from Cities in Flight by James Blish) The use of artificially intelligent computer systems to learn by monitoring all human interaction within a city. |
| 1957 | Space Armor (from Cities in Flight by James Blish) Armored space suits for use in vacuum. |
| 1957 | Accelerated Schooling (from Cities in Flight by James Blish) Knowledge force-fed directly into the brain. |
| 1957 | Toposcope (from Cities in Flight by James Blish) A special helmet used in a form of sleep teaching. |
| 1957 | Inter-Universal Messenger (from Cities in Flight by James Blish) A device intended to travel to another dimension. |
| 1957 | Battle Tank Display (from Cities in Flight by James Blish) Three-dimensional display showing tactical information for space battles. |
| 1957 | Accelerated Schooling Helmet (from Cities in Flight by James Blish) A device that stimulates the brain and imparts knowledge directly. |
| 1957 | Teleoperated Lab Robot (from Cities in Flight by James Blish) A robot is used to conduct experiments in an environment too extreme for humans. |
| 1957 | Proselytizing Robot (from Cities in Flight by James Blish) A robotic preacher; designed for use where believers are unwelcome. |
| 1957 | Peeper (from Shadow World by Clifford Simak) A device that unlocked the dreams and fantasies inherent in the user's brain. |
| 1957 | Roller (from Shadow World by Clifford Simak) Two passenger vehicle designed for off-road use on alien planets. |
| 1957 | Machine Psychologist (from Cities in Flight by James Blish) A computer that understands and uses its knowledge of human psychology to benefit human users. |
| 1957 | Project X (from Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand) A device that produces sound rays that are intolerable to living things. |
| 1957 | Anti-agathic drugs (from Cities in Flight by James Blish) Drugs that indefinitely postpone death from old age. |
| 1957 | Bats' Cave (from The Menace From Earth by Robert Heinlein) A natural cavern used by moon colonists for air storage - and entertainment. |
| 1957 | Teleoperated Beetle Car (from Cities in Flight by James Blish) A remotely-operated robotic vehicle that permitted telepresence. |
| 1957 | Tin Cabby (Flying Robotic Taxi) (from Cities in Flight by James Blish) An autonomously controlled flying taxi cab. |
| 1957 | Molecular Sieve (from Tales from the White Hart by Arthur C. Clarke) A device that can extract any element from seawater. |
| 1957 | Glass Bees (from The Glass Bees by Ernst Junger) Walnut-sized flying automata. |
| 1957 | Dirac Transmitter (also Tranceiver or Communicator) (from Cities in Flight by James Blish) A device that provides instantaneous communication anywhere in the galaxy. |
| 1957 | Manshonyagger (from Mark Elf by Cordwainer Smith) An autonomous fighting robot. |
| 1958 | Edge Controls (from The Feeling of Power by Isaac Asimov) A pocket-sized device using controls on the edge of the device, leaving the face for display purposes only. |
| 1958 | Robot Snake (from Bait for the Tiger by Lee Chaytor) A mechanical reptile, with no legs. |
| 1958 | Photosight (from The Sign of the Tiger by Alan Nourse (w/Meyer)) An automotive device that automatically follows a painted white line on the roadway, letting the car drive itself. |
| 1958 | Robot Brother (from Brother Robot by Henry Slesar) A roboticist brings home a robot brother for his natural son. |
| 1958 | Asteroid-Metal (from The Mechanical Monarch by E.C. Tubb) Metal mined from asteroids. |
| 1958 | Metamen (from The Mechanical Monarch by E.C. Tubb) A human brain placed in a purely mechanical, robotic body. |
| 1958 | Palm Plate (from The Mechanical Monarch by E.C. Tubb) A device that scanned for a palm print prior to opening a door. |
| 1958 | Self-Service Cafeteria (from The Mechanical Monarch by E.C. Tubb) Food on demand. |
| 1958 | Skew-Flip Turnover (from Have Space Suit - Will Travel by Robert Heinlein) Used halfway to the destination by torch ships to slow for one's destination. |
| 1958 | Flexible Wall Sheet Display (from The Mechanical Monarch by E.C. Tubb) A large clear sheet that displays information. |
| 1958 | Ethical Suicide Parlor (from Welcome to the Monkey House by Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.) A comfy environment in which you might commit ethical suicide, and thereby serve society. |
| 1958 | Impactor Determines Composition (from The Mechanical Monarch by E.C. Tubb) The use of an impactor to smash into a small celestial body; watching the impact can determine the composition of the small body. |
| 1958 | Plastotek (from Menace From Vega by Robert Randall) False skin disguise. |
| 1958 | Machine Suicide (from All the Troubles in the World by Isaac Asimov) A self-aware computer system wants to destroy itself. |
| 1958 | Life Detector Shield (from Cease Fire by Frank Herbert) An electronic field that is intended to shield living tissue from a Life Detector. |
| 1958 | Para-Beam (from The Mechanical Monarch by E.C. Tubb) A beam of energy that paralyzes the victim. |
| 1958 | Field-Minder (from But Who Can Replace A Man by Brian Aldiss) An agricultural robot. |
| 1958 | Hypo Arm (from Simulated Trainer by Harry Harrison) A robotic arm used to autonomously deliver pharmaceuticals to patients. |
| 1958 | Lunar Observatory (from We Have Fed Our Sea by Poul Anderson) Putting an observatory on the far side of the Moon could have advantages. |
| 1958 | Nose Gun (from Arm of the Law by Harry Harrison) Weapon system located up high. |
| 1958 | Circuit Inhibiting Destructiveness (from To Please The Master by Margaret St. Clair) Ensuring that robots take on the responsibility of pleasing their masters, and obeying their orders. |
| 1958 | Celestial Atlas (from No Planet Is Safe by Harlan Ellison) Planet-by-planet descriptions throughout known space. |
| 1958 | Cone of Silence (from Cease Fire by Frank Herbert) Distortion field that limits the carrying power of voice or other vibration; it accomplishes noise reduction with an image-vibration 180 degrees out of phase. |
| 1958 | Firebulance (from Vector by Margaret St. Clair) An ambulance equipped to sterilize by fire. |
| 1958 | Police Robot (from Arm of the Law by Harry Harrison) A fully autonomous, man-shaped robotic police officer. |
| 1958 | Space Suit Helmet Rearview Mirror (from Have Space Suit - Will Travel by Robert Heinlein) Having a way to easily see behind you while wearing a spacesuit. |
| 1958 | Chin Plates (from Have Space Suit - Will Travel by Robert Heinlein) A means of control within a space suit helmet; switching between options with the chin. |
| 1958 | Computers Improve Computers (from The Feeling of Power by Isaac Asimov) The idea that it will be possible for computers to design more advanced computers. |
| 1958 | Gyro Two-Wheeled Truck (from The Sign of the Tiger by Alan Nourse (w/Meyer)) A gyroscopically-stabilized truck with just two wheels. |
| 1958 | Neutronic Shielding (from The Sign of the Tiger by Alan Nourse (w/Meyer)) Very high density monomolecular shielding |
| 1958 | Tik-Talker (from The Sign of the Tiger by Alan Nourse (w/Meyer)) A method of scrambling spoken speech for encoded transmission. |
| 1958 | Landing Legs (from No Planet Is Safe by Harlan Ellison) Projections from the base of a space craft that allow it to land upright in gravity. |
| 1958 | Espionage Machine (from No, No, Not Rogov! by Cordwainer Smith) A machine that makes it possible to experience the sensations of another person at a distance. |
| 1958 | Thought-Record Helmet (from Menace From Vega by Robert Randall) A wearable history book. |
| 1958 | The Hub (from Worlds of Origin by Jack Vance) A large space resort consisting of inhabitable bubbles in a metal framework. |
| 1958 | Magnetic Pinions (from Worlds of Origin by Jack Vance) Remote control electromagnetic handcuffs. |
| 1958 | Farside (from We Have Fed Our Sea by Poul Anderson) The portion of the Moon's surface that faces away from Earth. |
| 1958 | Walking Mill (from Bread Overhead! by Fritz Leiber) The ultimate combine - giant metal centipede walks through fields, harvesting wheat, threshing, grinding and finally baking bread right in the field. |
| 1958 | Pressurized Penthouse (from Bread Overhead! by Fritz Leiber) A stratospheric perch - if buildings are tall enough, you'll need this. |
| 1958 | Venus Cities Float In Atmosphere (from Bread Overhead! by Fritz Leiber) Cloud cities on Venus. |
| 1958 | Predictable Crime (from All the Troubles in the World by Isaac Asimov) A criminal act that computers were able to foresee in advance. |
| 1958 | Build A Planet With Asteroids (from And Then the Town Took Off by Richard Wilson) The idea that it is possible to gather up enough of the asteroids in the solar system to "build" a planet out of the scraps. |
| 1958 | Pocket Computer (from The Feeling of Power by Isaac Asimov) A pocket-sized computer. |
| 1958 | Life Detector (from Cease Fire by Frank Herbert) A device that was capable of detecting living tissue within a set radius. |
| 1958 | Robot Conductor (from The Woman You Wanted by Robert Silverberg) A robot that serves as the conductor on a bus. |
| 1958 | Chin Window (from Have Space Suit - Will Travel by Robert Heinlein) An aperture that allows an astronaut to see his own feet (greater field of view). |
| 1959 | Sentenced Man (from Robot Justice by Harry Harrison) A person who commits asocial actions and lives in society, but in reduced circumstances. |
| 1959 | Robotic Trash Can (from Robot Justice by Harry Harrison) A sensor-equipped waste can capable of autonomous cleaning - and legal judgement. |
| 1959 | Personality Death (from Robot Justice by Harry Harrison) Punishment leaves the body intact. |
| 1959 | Robot Judge (from Robot Justice by Harry Harrison) Artificially intelligent legal machine - robes and all. |
| 1959 | Robot Trash Collectors (from Robot Justice by Harry Harrison) Robots that drive and operate garbage trucks. |
| 1959 | Neodog (from Starship Troopers by Robert Heinlein) Canine-derived animal, genetically engineered for increased intelligence and speech. |
| 1959 | Memo-Voice (from War Game by Philip K. Dick) Paper memos that read themselves out loud. |
| 1959 | Hyperspace Beacon (from The Repairman by Harry Harrison) Located in real space, these devices provide reference points in hyperspace to make navigation possible. |
| 1959 | Robot Spectra Analyzer (from The Repairman by Harry Harrison) Device used to find ones position in real space. |
| 1959 | Toy Testing Dummy (from War Game by Philip K. Dick) A child-sized device used to test suspect toys. |
| 1959 | Talking Bomb (from Starship Troopers by Robert Heinlein) A psychological warfare weapon that talks to the enemy. |
| 1959 | Intelligent Trash Sorting (from Robot Justice by Harry Harrison) Robots sort the garbage - almost completely. |
| 1959 | Powered Armor (or Powered Suit) (from Starship Troopers by Robert Heinlein) An armored suit that magnifies the power of the soldier's muscles, along with other weapons. |
| 1959 | Saddle (from The Big Front Yard by Clifford Simak) A comfortable riding saddle - minus the horse. |
| 1959 | Mark IV Door Keeping Robot (from The Man Who Could Not Stop by A. Bertram Chandler) A robotic device for responding (and scanning) people who come to your door. |
| 1959 | Human Object Recognition (from Robot Justice by Harry Harrison) System uses human beings as an aid to robotic object recognition. |
| 1959 | Electromechanical Educator (from The Fourth R by George O. Smith) An automated teaching machine. |
| 1959 | Metallic Marx (from The Robots Strike by Harry Harrison) A robot who strikes for better working conditions. |
| 1959 | Hands Free Helmet (from Starship Troopers by Robert Heinlein) The helmet of a powered suit has controls activated by head movements. |
| 1959 | Grass Carpet (from The Sirens of Titan by Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.) An indoor home or office floor covering - living grass. |
| 1959 | Magnetically Floating Furniture (from The Sirens of Titan by Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.) Furniture that is suspended at the proper height using magnetic forces. |
| 1959 | Clone (from The Clone by Theodore L Thomas) The aggregate of individual organisms descended by asexual reproduction from a single sexually produced individual. |
| 1959 | Flying Eye (from The Repairman by Harry Harrison) A remote-controlled device for surveillance overflight. |
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re: Chris Boyce
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Robot Baristas Learn Their Trade Without Paying Royalties
re: Anthony Boucher
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JAXA Int Ball 2 Coming Right Along As Star Wars Remote
re: George Lucas
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Robot Bricklayer Or Passer-By Bricklayer?
re: Bruce Sterling
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Robot Gas Station Attendant Pumps Gas For You
re: Philip K. Dick
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Engineer Creates Crazy Motorized Track Hospital Bed
re: Katsuhiro Otomo
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Tiny Flying Robot Weighs Just One Gram
re: Neal Stephenson
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Some Ringworld Configurations Are Stable
re: Larry Niven
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TRANSFORM Dynamic Furniture Concept Becomes What You Need
re: Larry Niven
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Harvard Metamaterials Change Structure Instantly
re: Samuel R. Delany
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SnapBot Robots - You Choose Their Legs And They Choose Their Gaits
re: Milton K Smith
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Dino From Magical Toys An AI Companion To Children
re: Anne McCaffrey
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Humanoid Robots Building Humanoid Robots
re: Isaac Asimov
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Darpa 'Defiant' Unmanned Autonomous Ship
re: Miles J. Breuer
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What's The Best Way To Ship And Unpack Humanoid Robots?
re: Elizabeth Bellamy
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DNA Printed Book By Isaac Asimov Now Available
re: Barbara Hambly
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AI Computer Chip Designs Passeth Human Understanding
re: Isaac Asimov
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Space Traffic Management (STM) Needed Now
re: Arthur William Bernal
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Fine-Tune Your Infinite Book The Way You Want It
re: Clifford Simak
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SpiRobs Soft Spiral Robotic Arm
re: HG Wells
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Holland Factory 3D Printing 500 Tons Of Steak Per Month
re: Margaret St. Clair
(2/7/2025)
Stratospheric Solar Geoengineering From Harvard
re: Neal Stephenson
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ErythroMer Artificial Blood
re: David H. Keller
(2/3/2025)
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Create An Accurate Tiny Model Of Yourself
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(See More Science Fiction in the News)
