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IBM's 5 in 5 predicts cognitive computing will complement our senses, virtualize touch

IBM thinks cognitive computers that can adapt to their surroundings will be a large part of our future, and that their ability to take unprocessed data and find patterns in different environments will augment our sensory interactions with our surroundings. While many of us associate haptic feedback with video game controllers, IBM says that we'll soon be able to use variable vibrations to feel physical textures while, say, shopping for garments on our mobile devices. If shopping is too material for your tastes, imagine farmers being able to touch their crops out in the fields to remotely monitor the harvest's health.

On the chemosensation front, scientists envision phones that can detect biomarkers in our breath that may predict when a cold is coming, before you get your first sniffle (and it might be Dr. Watson making that diagnosis). While some of this seems even a bit far-fetched to us, it's inspiring to see what the researchers at IBM are thinking up. Check the videos in the source below to see what else could be in our future, and let's check back in December 2017 to see how far we've come.