Video calls. Robot vacuums. Voice assistants. Thirty years ago, we only saw this technology in cinema or on TV. Today, they’re billion-dollar industries.
Many of the technologies now reshaping how we live and work first appeared in movies or on TV. While most viewers were happy to lose themselves in the narrative, an enterprising few may have seen those fictional gadgets and thought, “I could build that.”
The driving force? Vision and business smarts. These innovators simplified our lives while building rewarding careers and thriving brands.
Let’s check out some fiction-to-fact technology success stories—and see how you could help shape the next big thing.
Even when they only exist on the screen, technologies can spark real-world business innovation. Consider these global successes:
The first video call? “Metropolis,” from 1927. In this silent film, two men chatted by phone while watching each other on screens—in an era where no one even owned a TV.
Today, apps like Zoom, FaceTime, and WhatsApp connect people across the world by voice and video.
Zoom’s IPO arrived at the right time: just before COVID-19. Business skyrocketed. It’s free, right? Plan upgrades, hardware, and add-on features keep it profitable. Its latest revenue figures? $4.75 billion for the fiscal year ending July 2024.
Robot vacuums first popped up in the 1960s TV cartoon “The Jetsons.”
Robot vacuums hit store shelves in 1996 but didn’t really catch on until Roomba’s 2002 debut. Sales have surged every year since.
The 2025 robot vacuum market is expected to reach anywhere from $11 billion to more than $16 billion by year’s end.
The 1960s “Star Trek” TV series showed us mobile “communicators” that looked a lot like 1990s flip phones. And the communications officer took calls through a device that probably inspired Bluetooth earpieces.
Compact cell phones were introduced around 1989. Smaller, colorful flip phones came later.
And today? We don’t need to tell you how lucrative the smartphone market has become—you’re probably reading this article on one right now. As of 2025, the global mobile phone market is set to top $485 billion.
“2001: A Space Odyssey” (from 1968) may show the first touchscreen technology in cinema: a video tablet.
Touchscreens were in development in the 1960s, around the same time as the film. It was 2007’s record-setting touchscreen iPhone launch, however, that helped sales of touchscreen products skyrocket:
The 2013 film “Her” showed a man’s obsession with a device barely bigger than a credit card. Programmed with a natural-sounding female voice, the assistant could learn and create—even write music. Gradually, it became his “companion.”
The film came out shortly after Siri, the first modern voice assistant. Voice-enabled chatbots and robots are now performing an increasing number of tasks and providing companionship for some, including older adults.
The global voice assistant market could reach $15 billion by 2033.
A VR headset immerses you in a digital world you can explore and interact with. “The Lawnmower Man” gave us a scary glimpse back in 1992. In the movie, a scientist tried to boost a man’s brain power with drugs and VR-based training. The subject became superintelligent—and homicidal.
A VR technology in cinema trend followed. The theme appeared throughout 1990s films, including:
Consumer VR headsets launched in 2016 and are changing how we play games and watch movies. But entertainment is just one of VR’s applications, which also include:
The global VR market could reach $193 billion by 2030.
A chilling tale of AI gone rogue, the film “Demon Seed” showed a surprisingly accurate smart home—in 1977. The house featured automated, voice-controlled appliances, lighting, and security features throughout. (Even a doorbell camera.)
Smart home technology was developed in the 1960s. But “Demon Seed”-level smart homes? That technology wouldn’t arrive until the 2010s.
The 2024 U.S. smart home market reached $28.3 billion.
Ever hailed a Johnny Cab? (True, most people prefer “rideshare” now.) The 1990 movie “Total Recall” gave us Johnny Cab, with a chatty, human-like—but robotic—driver.
We can’t buy fully-autonomous cars … yet. But some semi-autonomous models are available, as well as driverless taxis. And some consumers are getting to test-ride personal autonomous vehicles, which may be parked in our driveways soon.
The 2024 global market for self-driving cars? $1.7 trillion!
Flying cars? Well, they aren’t here yet. But autonomous car technology shows promise for flying ones, too! Maybe you’ll be part of that future business boom?
Do screen stories inspire real-life technology, or is it the other way around?
Filming on “2001: A Space Odyssey” began shortly after touchscreens were developed. (Probably not a coincidence.) But on-screen depictions of compact, ergonomic flip phones and Bluetooth earpieces were clearly echoed in consumer product designs from later decades.
These products met a need we didn’t know we had. It took futuristic stories for us to realize it.
Business visionaries understand that consumers crave innovative gear. And once they get it, they can’t live without it. Is it also well-designed? Does it solve a real problem? Those combined elements can be a springboard to success.
There’s a huge opportunity for ambitious business leaders inspired by technology in cinema or TV—or who see untapped markets.
The entrepreneurs who brought movie tech to life had big ideas and knew how to execute them. They understood consumer behavior, identified market gaps, and built strategies to turn prototypes into products people actually buy.
Whether you’re inspired by technologies you’ve seen on screen or you’ve spotted an untapped market, you’ll need the same skills those innovators used: marketing principles, strategic management, and the ability to weigh market potential.
The University of Texas Permian Basin’s online business programs can help you build that foundation:
Develop essential skills with courses covering:
Ready to turn ideas into reality? Start your UTPB application now.
Sources:
https://screenrant.com/tech-inventions-movies-predicted
https://now.northropgrumman.com/4-examples-of-sci-fi-technology-predicted-by-media
https://www.cnn.com/2019/04/18/tech/zoom-ipo-video-conference
https://medium.com/@shazaibdanish4/the-history-and-future-of-smart-homes-from-sci-fi-dreams-to-reality-fe4cba633eb1
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