After 22 years and 6 parts, the action film series Mission: Impossible starring Tom Cruise as Ethan Hunt continues to prove its appeal over time. One of the things that makes this series so appealing is its unique but not too absurd technologies and devices. In fact, many technologies that seem to only exist in movies have been realized.
Super small headphones
In Mission: Impossible, viewers have seen many times the scene where members of the IMF organization insert a super small device into their ears and use it to communicate. Ethan (Cruise), Benjy (Simon Pegg), Luther (Ving Rhames) and Isla (Rebecca Ferguson) always communicate wirelessly with each other and this super small headset works even when the characters run, fight, climb mountains, etc.
In fact, super small information exchange devices have been commercialized for many years. With the development of technology, the product has become increasingly compact, serving users in some special cases.
Smart Contact Lenses
In Ghost Protocol, spy Hanaway used smart contact lenses with facial recognition capabilities. In the midst of a “forest” of people walking, this device still helped the spy find his target accurately.
Smart glasses have been commercialized, notably the Google Glass model. Experts from technology company RaayonNova believe that smart contact lenses may appear on the market in the next few years. Currently, Google, Samsung and Sony all have patents related to this technology.
Glasses with integrated cameras
It was “impossible” about 20 years ago, but now glasses with the ability to record images are not too advanced technology. Nowadays, cameras can be reduced to the size of a pen tip and integrated into the frame of the glasses. This detail also shows how fast technology has developed, turning the impossible into possible.
Mask Printer
The mask is a staple of Mission: Impossible, and it was not until the third installment (2006) that the mask-making machine and process were explored on the big screen. In the film, just taking photos of the face from different angles can create a mold and a realistic mask.
Today, specialized devices, even on smartphones, can record a person’s face in three dimensions. Combined with high-resolution 3D printers, creating a “copy” statue based on someone’s face can take just a few minutes. Meanwhile, the development of new material technology and makeup techniques has helped create realistic masks.
Remote control of cars
In the latest film Fallout, Ethan, Luther and Benjy are trapped and need to move quickly. Benjy then takes out his phone (or small tablet) and remotely controls the car, just like playing the game Need For Speed on mobile.
With the advent of 5G networks and the Internet of Things (IoT) trend, many car models today have been integrated with wireless connections by manufacturers, allowing for positioning, automatic parking, voice commands and control via smartphone. Of course, there is still a lot to do to get the action scenes like in the movies, but technology on the big screen and in reality is not too far away.