Minority Report 1

Predicting Emerging Technologies:

Minority Report Critical Analysis
Victoria Lakso
ED 407
Athens State University

Introduction
This critical analysis will discuss the crime prediction technology as well as

various technologies featured in the movie, Minority Report (2002). The movie is set in

the near future and features technologies that, at the time of film-making, were thought

to be possible in the year 2054. These technologies include interactive displays, voice

activated controls, 3D/holographic images, eye scanners and much more. The biggest

technology featured in the film was the ability to see the images in the minds of three

individuals, known as pre-cogs, which law enforcement was able to use to arrest people

who would have committed crimes, such as murder, before the crimes took place. The

department, which was called Pre-crime, was being examined for accuracy and viability

prior to a possible expansion. The aim of the investigator was to determine if the
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program was moral, ethical and effective. It was found that the program was fallible due

to manipulation of the holes in the process and was subsequently dissolved.

The Process of Prediction
The crime predictions in the movie stemmed from the intuitive and precognitive

abilities of three individuals, two males and a female, who born to mothers who were

addicted to synthetic drugs and consequently developed the ability to have visions of

people committing crimes before they happened. Scientists found a way to keep these

three individuals in a state that was not fully awake but also not fully asleep. They were

kept in a solution that was meant to nourish their neural abilities and facilitate the

transfer of their visions to a computer so that others could see them. The pre-cogs

were also attached to several neural receptors to aid in information transmission. When

the pre-cogs received a vision, images would flash on a screen above them. A wooden

ball would be carved and the name of the victim engraved into it. A second ball would

display the name of the perpetrator. The Pre-crime officers would then view the images

of the crime on an interactive display in order to establish the time and location of the

crime so that they could apprehend the potential criminal.

Interactive Display
The interactive display portrayed in the movie was guided by gloves with sensors

worn by the individual interacting with the screen. The user could manipulate what was

being viewed by swiping his hand and using various motions and gestures to switch

images, zoom and pan. The images themselves could be stills or in motion and the

user could move back or forward in time. This interactive display is seen again in

personal computers in the movie where the user could manipulate what was seen on

the see-through screen. This technology, though maybe not to the extent shown in the

movie, is available today. There are multi-touch interfaces that allow a user to

manipulate whats on screen with swipes and touches and multiple fingers in motion at
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a time. There is also smart clothing that reads the movements of the person wearing

the clothing and displays this movement on a computer screen. It is very easy to

believe that these two technologies can be combined to create the interactive display

featured in the movie. The Mezzanine by Oblong and Leap Motion are two interfaces

that come extraordinarily close to the interface in Minority Report designed by John

Underkoffler. This type of technology could have far reaching effects in a classroom.

Students and teachers could use this interactive technology to create, share, display

work and collaborate even on a global scale. Having technology like this in the

classroom would engage students and inspire STEAM related innovation and learning.
Voice Activated Controls
The voice activated controls were seen particularly in the home of the main

character who was able to turn on the lights just by saying, Turn on the lights.

Speaking a command was followed by the action the command was requesting. This

technology is currently available through products like the Amazon Echo or the Google

Home. These small devices are connected via Bluetooth and wireless internet to

numerous technologies in the home such as lights, sprinkler systems, security systems

and even refrigerators and ovens. They offer hands-free, voice activated control over

various functions. This technology could provide a classroom with conveniences such

as turning on music or researching information instantly just by asking for it. It may not

control the lights in a classroom but it could certainly help with accessing information if

computers or tablets are not available for students to use.

3D/Holographic Projection
3D/holographic projection was depicted in the movie when the main character

was watching some home videos and the family members in the videos seemed to be

standing right there in the room with him as if they had stepped out of the screen to

interact with him. This technology is available today provided by Musion. The pictures
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and sound created in a hologram by this company are incredibly realistic. A fantastic

video to watch on Musions holographic abilities can be found here. ISTE (2017) lists

several ways that hologram technology can benefit the classroom including remote

collaboration, simulated science, realistic historical experiences, educational gaming,

3D designing, teacher reach, motor skill development and even employment skills.
Eye Scanners
Eye scanners were a dominant technology in this movie, so much so that it

required the main character to change his eyes to evade capture. There were eye

scanners for everything from entering a building to entering restricted areas and even

getting on a public transportation train. This type of technology would require an

incredible database to be used on such a grand scale. There are eye scanners today

that will restrict access to safes and offices, but creating a city-wide or country-wide

system would require a great deal of time and effort. There would also inevitably be a

backlash from many people who might feel that it imposes on their privacy. Having your

eyes scanned to get on a train or shop in a store would leave a foot print and many

people would be uncomfortable with that level of monitoring. At this stage, eye

scanning would be beneficial for keeping track of any individuals inside of a school to

ensure safety. It might also be useful for student accounts such as library and lunch

funds.
Personal Interest
Before I began this paper, I had no idea how far interface technology and

holographic technology had become. I am in awe of the advances we have made and I

am thoroughly inspired to incorporate as much of it as I can into my classroom. The

interface technology could be used to facilitate global collaboration, which is a passion

of mine. It seems as though 3D and holographic technology, although currently

available, is incredibly expensive, so its likely not going to be a possibility for regular
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classroom use for a long time but it could still serve as a learning tool. Voice activated

controls would benefit any classroom, but it would be particularly useful to a classroom

that does not have a 1:1 or BYOD policy. Ultimately, my passion is global collaboration.

In that regard, the best option from these technologies is the interactive interface.

Students could use this technology to create so many projects and collaborate on a

global scale with such ease. It is inspiring to think of the project-based and problem-

based learning that will take place in my classroom through the use of this technology.
Conclusion
This critical analysis has covered the main technology featured in the movie,

Minority Report, as well as several key technologies that, at the time of filming, were

only predicted and today are fully developed. Some of these technologies could easily

transition into the classroom to facilitate learning and some are either too expensive for

a school to implement right now or not very learner friendly. Overall, it is fascinating to

see that technologies predicted by an MIT graduate in 2001 and 2002 for the year 2054

have come to fruition today in 2017, maybe not in exactly the same way, but incredibly

close. Newer movies are featuring even newer predicted technologies and it leaves one

on the edge of their seat waiting to see if these technologies will come to pass. Even

more so, it leaves a teacher with a mind racing to find ways to implement these

technologies in her classroom so that her students learning experiences may be richer

and more fulfilled.

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References
"8 Classroom Uses For Holographic Technology". Iste.org. N.p., 2017. Web. 2 July

2017. https://www.iste.org/explore/articleDetail?articleid=271
"Hologram Technology | 3D Holographic Projection Technology By Musion".

Musion.com. N.p., 2017. Web. 2 July 2017. http://musion.com/

"Leap Motion". Leap Motion. N.p., 2017. Web. 2 July 2017.

https://www.leapmotion.com/#112
"Made By Google". Made by Google. N.p., 2017. Web. 2 July 2017.

https://madeby.google.com/home/
Minority Report. Hollywood: Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation, 2002. DVD.
"Musion 3D Demo - Polycom Realpresence March 2012". YouTube. N.p., 2017. Web. 2

July 2017. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6qQaa8ye3n0

"Overview - Oblong Industries, Inc.". Oblong Industries, Inc.. N.p., 2017. Web. 2 July

2017. http://www.oblong.com/mezzanine/overview/
"Robot Check". Amazon.com. N.p., 2017. Web. 2 July 2017.

https://www.amazon.com/Amazon-Echo-Bluetooth-Speaker-with-WiFi-

Alexa/dp/B00X4WHP5E