Hoverboards, augmented reality and adverts on the moon: Technology predictions for 2015

2014 has seen the advent of memory recording, smart contact lenses, cameras that can record the speed of light, and printable batteries.

But what does 2015 have in store? IBTimes UK takes a look at what we can expect to see in the upcoming year.

Driverless buses and lorries

Driverless cars have been talked about for a number of years and have been tested on roads around the world, but 2015 is set to see the types of autonomous vehicle expanded to buses and lorries.

Transport Minister Claire Perry says driverless buses will be able to provide "better and more frequent services" and transform rural public transport.

One of the UK's major bus companies is said to be interesting in testing the driverless technology, though it remains to be seen who will be willing to board a bus without a driver.

First advert on the moon

Isn't technology great. It has seen us walk on the moon, send a spaceship to Mars and land a probe on a comet travelling faster than a speeding bullet 500 million miles away.

So what do we have to look forward to in 2015? The first advert on the moon apparently. Yes, a Japanese soft drinks manufacturer is planning to place the first extra-terrestrial advert by sending one its cans to the moon.

The marketing mission by Otsuka will be undertaken through Elon Musk's SpaceX company in October 2015 on a four-and-a-half day journey that will cover 236,121 miles.

First commercial hooverboard

I remember watching Back to the Future 2 as a young boy and dreaming that I would live to see the day I would be able to imitate Marty McFly and use a hooverboard.

Well it looks like that day will come in 2015 with the Hendo hoverboard, developed by California-based company Ax Pax. It tested a prototype earlier this year and has now reached its Kickstarter crowd-funding targets to make it a reality.

Here's hoping we'll see a time-travelling DeLorean in 2016....

White Space Wi-Fi

OK, so this may not be as exciting as a hooverboard, but it will be more transformative for many more people.

Free "Super WiFi" that utilises the white space spectrum found between television stations to deliver internet connectivity is expected to be rolled out across vast swathes of the unconnected world in 2015

White space Wi-Fi has a range 100 times greater than current WiFi methods and is also able to travel through solid objects like walls with little interference and Microsoft has already said it is planning on rolling it out in India in 2015.

Augmented reality smartglasses

Google Glass may be somewhat of a disappointment but Google's purchase of augmented reality specialists Magic Leap earlier in 2014 has raised the prospect of that the tech giant is planning a big upgrade for its smartglasses in 2015.

Magic Leap is expected to deliver augmented reality to Glass wearers, offering both informative and gaming experiences.

It means that 2015 could be the year that seeing green aliens or dancing fairies will no longer mean you are dragged off to the mad house.