Unfortunately, there is a lot of technology in the Star Wars movies that is either years away or probably impossible to ever come to fruition given the limitations of the earth. That said, there are many technologies that have either come to be in the real world or that do not seem all that far-fetched as we enter the year 2020.
The place where this is most apparent is in the healthcare technology that is used in a galaxy far, far away. Here are some of the most amazing and futuristic health gadgets in Star Wars. Some of which we may never realize here on our planet but with others, they are closer to reality than ever.
Luke’s Prosthetic Hand
In an article about Star Wars gadgets that is written a good four decades after the release of the original movie, there is probably no need for spoiler alerts but we may lightly touch on some minor ones so read on at your own risk.
Luke getting his hand cut off by Darth Vader, in one of the most iconic moments in Star Wars history, would have ended most Jedi Knight’s careers but not good, old Luke. He got a bionic hand and went about his business of saving the galaxy. The hand, or the L-hand 980 to be specific, was unthinkable in 1977 but today, it is a very real technology.
Inspired by Star Wars and the man himself, a team of scientists at the University of Utah created the LUKE arm. This prosthetic hand has sensors that send signals to the brain allowing the user to feel things they are picking up. An amazing breakthrough that would have never come without Star Wars.
Medical Droids
Medical droids, also sometimes called medi-droids, meddroids, or Emdee droids, are the robotic doctors that perform medical and surgical operations in the Star Wars universe. With so many types of species in the Star Wars universe, it takes a computer to house all the knowledge it takes to heal all of them.
The medical droids in Star Wars include the 2-1B surgical droid, the FX-series medics, GH-7 medical analysis units, and the DD-13 medical assistant droids which were favored by the Sith to do their dark reconstruction surgery.
In the 21st century, robotic surgeons and medical machines leveraging artificial intelligence is no longer just a movie troupe, it is here. As Healthcare Weekly explains, artificial intelligence is the future of health care. Just like on Tatooine or Bespin, healthcare has become so complex that algorithms, robotics, and machine learning are the only way to keep up.
Medical Unit AZ-01
This was the specific medical droid (like the ones we discussed above) that was used by Arlaia Zayzen in the game Star Wars: The Old Republic. Arlaia was a female Human who became known as the “Master of Killers” as a gladiator in the Arena Grand of Zakuul. In combat, she used a personal medical drone known by her own initials. Along with other droids, AZ-01 assisted her and took care of any medical issues that popped up during combat.
One of the reasons Arlaia was so successful in combat was that she had a medical droid by her side that had personal information at its disposal to be able to treat any injury that befell the great gladiator.
This is not unlike the wealth of data that is now being analyzed and used in the medical profession today. As Digital Authority Partners explains, healthcare analytics are being used today to make for a better personal patient experience. Now, hospitals are able to take information from the general population as well as patient-specific data and use it to great effect. It creates better patient outcomes (which Arlaia ran out of when she finally faced the “Mysterious Stranger”) and a more private and secure experience.
Bacta
This organic substance in the Star Wars Universe is known to heal and regenerate the characters who use it with amazing results. It is used in a wide variety of scenarios for both critical and noncritical medical situations. Due to its effectiveness in dealing with so many medical conditions across so many species and planets, Bacta is a highly prized medical compound.
Even though it has helped many Star Wars characters, including Darth Vader and Luke Skywalker, not everyone thinks it is so great. Because the substance regenerates things that should probably not be regenerated, some characters have negative feelings towards the substance. Also, it is kind of gross being described as a cross between “liquid” and “slime”. Patients also have described the feeling of being “swallowed alive” while being submerged in a Bacta tank.
While there is no magic slime here on earth that regenerates and heals quite like Bacta, recent findings show there are organic compounds with much more healing potential than previously realized. Earth-bound substances such as CBD and essential oils are now being shown to have a similar healing quality to Bacta. They can help with everyday ailments or possibly even more serious matters such as Epilepsy, cancer and Alzheimer’s disease.
Conclusion
In addition to the real-world healthcare implications that Star Wars has had, there are a host of other interesting technologies that George Lucas and company foresaw in the late 1970s that a pretty much a reality today. Things like virtual reality in the form of sparring partners, holograms, and hovercrafts like the Landspeeder are all just as real today as they were in that far off galaxy.
As Star Wars continues to influence a new generation and having new episodes created by new, innovative filmmakers, it is worth continuing to keep an eye on the technology they use. While, even by today’s lofty standards, much of it might seem far-fetched, you never know. What seemed like a crazy figment of a visionary’s imagination when it came out, now is a reality that is helping people be healthier and saving lives. You never know what today’s Star Wars technologies will foresee in our future again.