Interstellar
List of Technology
UAV’s/Probes
One of the important technologies portrayed in the movie was UAV’s. In the movie, they use UAV’s for various applications both on Earth and in outer space. Mainly, they are used for data collection and analysis. They use the probes to retrieve information about the various planets and the environment in order to determine if a location is suitable for humanity. This technology is a technology that has existed since the 1900’s, and is still in use today and will be used for many years to come. The portrayal of the technology was very similar to how it was portrayed in other movies like The Martian, another big sci-fi movie. The capabilities and applications of the UAVs/probes mirrors that of many older and newer movies in that they are used for data collection, reconnaissance, and other physical tasks. Overall, the portrayal of the technology was realistic and matches what we use the technology for nowadays.
Space Communication
Throughout the movie, the characters onboard the spacecraft and the individuals back on Earth communicate with each other using long distance space communication lines. The technology is something that currently does exist, but at a much smaller scale. In the movie, the individuals from Earth can send messages to the people on the spaceship even though they are significantly far away. In the real world, we can send communications back and forth between planets by use of satellites and transmitters on Earth (this is how we communicated with the probes that visited Jupiter, Mars,etc). In the movie, receiving the communications took a long time to reach them, and the people on the ship could not instantly send messages back as they did not have the proper equipment onboard their spaceship. This portrayal was very realistic to the current standard of space communication, and is very different from how other sci-fi movies portray interstellar communication. In many movies such as Star Wars, Star Trek, and other such films, the characters can instantly communicate with each other even though they are light years away from one another, which seems very unrealistic and is never fully explained.
Spacecraft
The spacecraft used throughout the movie was significantly more advanced than what we have today. The spacecraft in the movie could travel at sub light speeds, which was significantly faster than anything we have today. The entire Endurance spacecraft was self-sufficient, meaning it could run itself without many exterior resources or control (due to the AI on board that could run it). It was designed to be modular in that it could be taken apart and be used for various purposes like establishing based and had docking protocols for various ships (the two seen in the movie). This technology, although more advanced than what we have today, is not far off from reality. The international space station has a lot of capability like the Endurance spacecraft. The portrayal of this technology was similar to how other movies portray their interstellar spacecraft – self-sufficient ships that provide various applications for establishing interstellar presence. Overall, the portrayal of the technology was very realistic and spacecraft on Earth are likely to resemble it in the future.
Companion Robots/AI
One of the most interesting technologies in the movie is the Companion Robots that the NASA scientists used. These robots are block like structures that can change form and are capable of very fluid, dynamic movement and can be used in a wide array of applications because of their changing structure. These robot's play a crucial part in the movie as they perform a lot of functionality for the humans. They pilot the ships, collect sensor data, and also act as companions/friends to the humans because they have significant amounts of personality built into them. The robot's are sentient and are aware of their surroundings and can sense danger, which makes them an interesting aspect of the movie. The portrayal of the technology is realistic, however, that kind of robotic technology is not something that will be attained for several years. Current robotic technology for NASA focuses on Humanoid Robots [1] as opposed to the dynamic block structure of the robots portrayed. In addition, Artificial Intelligence is nowhere near the point that the movie portrays. Many robots/AI's today require significant human in the loop control. There is still significant amount of research going on in this area, so it is likely that humanity will have robots/AI like the ones in the movie in a matter of years. The portrayal of the robot's was different than in other movies. The robots used were very close to the humans and were like friends, which goes against the portrayal of robots in movies like Star Wars and 2001: A Space Odyssey. However, the relationships between the humans and robots/AI are not the same as in movies like Chappie and Her, where there is a form of intimacy. The robots were portrayed as a good mix between being friends with the humans and still being there to serve them, which was an interesting portrayal of the dynamic between the two.
Sources
https://www.nasa.gov/feature/valkyrie