There are a lot of real world technologies that have come from Science Fiction. One of the latest technologies that I find interesting is found in this article:
http://www.redicecreations.com/article.php?id=10352
I think however they sort of miss-named or labeled the new armor. To me it seems like it is more like polarized hull plating. What do you think? And what cool Trek technology have you found interesting?
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I have also used this concept myself in navalized space combat game design because I preferred 'near future' tech over the usual sci fi tech.
Indeed it should work exactly like PH in ST: Enterprise providing temporary kinetic damage resistance.
Aside from this, there is also quite a lot of interest in 'cloaking devices' which are even effective in prototype form today. While it's not yet possible to completely mask an armoured vehicle from visual detection, there have been successful tests in the UK where an armoured unit could disguise or even eliminate its IR signature altogether. It could appear as a much smaller non-threatening vehicle or make itself 'transparent' to night vision systems.
The "Invisible Tank"
Judging from the importance of night vision and the ability to wage and win a war with night armor operations in contemporary conflicts, this ability to deceive IR sensors could be decisive in the future. It could make armor units almost completely undetectable by drones and laser guided weaponry, or it could make partial stealth movements by night possible.
I believe the US Future Soldier concepts also have some sort of active camoflage in the works.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N6SnvRzNCpo
Looks like (from the convulted and queerly written video description) it's a heat mirage. Those Jem'Hadar must have extreme resistance to heat.
Though if its heat-based, wouldn't the cloak stick out like a sore thumb on IR sensors? Looks like two cloaks are needed in today's tech - one for thermal and the other for visual masking.
Knowing today's progress, someone will probably combine both together and start miniaturizing them eventually for a man-portable version.
Real medical tricorder
Science Influences Fiction that influences Science that influences...
They are somewhat already here. I work in Med Device R&D.