What Will Christmas Look Like in the Future?
With innovation increasing, it may not be long before futuristic technologies change our festive traditions forever.
![Matthew Herbert Matthew Herbert](https://optimise2.assets-servd.host/smart-hoopoe/production/content/images/Matthew-Herbert-Headshot.png?w=800&h=800&auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=crop&dm=1690813423&s=1c8af270c7341395d22dafaaaa171c33)
Director of Marketing Communications
(he/him)
What will Christmas look like in the future?
With innovation running full steam ahead to deliver products and processes to make our lives easier and improve entertainment, it may not be long before futuristic technologies change our Christmas traditions forever.
Here we present a few of our favourite festive ideas that could be a reality before we know it.
Santa Drone
Goodbye Santa, hello drone! Forget the big fella, soon drones will be coming down your chimney to deliver presents! The last stage of a delivery journey, where a package is delivered to the consumer, is currently very expensive and inefficient. Using drones could save businesses and consumers lots of money, and would significantly reduce the time it takes to receive your perfect presents. Sophisticated chimney-esque “drone shoots” could also grant access to the specified address, delivering packages directly to the safety of your home. No more queuing up at the depot when you’ve missed the postman!
![Christmas Drone Christmas Drone](https://optimise2.assets-servd.host/smart-hoopoe/production/content/images/gift-drone.png?w=1120&h=630&q=60&fm=jpg&fit=crop&dm=1559222387&s=bb24d6af30c1ba138d2b3e92ba2d9f70 1120w, https://optimise2.assets-servd.host/smart-hoopoe/production/content/images/gift-drone.png?w=800&h=450&q=60&fm=jpg&fit=crop&dm=1559222387&s=1273cc0c9cdd14c7bc106768dcde5e83 800w, https://optimise2.assets-servd.host/smart-hoopoe/production/content/images/gift-drone.png?w=480&h=270&q=60&fm=jpg&fit=crop&dm=1559222387&s=debf83056ace84bf4bea8653e25bd23d 480w, https://optimise2.assets-servd.host/smart-hoopoe/production/content/images/gift-drone.png?w=960&h=540&q=45&fm=jpg&fit=crop&dm=1559222387&s=a16411eb7f547c0b0f7d9b1b49317888 960w)
Virtual Black Friday
Dragging yourself around the cramped and stuffy shops amongst the ardent Christmas bargain hunters may soon be a thing of the past. Virtual reality shopping will bring you all the clothes and gadgets you could ever wish for, live in the comfort of your own home. Pop the headset on to be guided around the products by a virtual shop assistant — who knows more about your tastes than you do. Pick the perfect lighting level and layout of the store for ultimate comfort, and even invite friends to the same virtual store to get their opinions. If you like the sound of it, make sure to attend The Big Bang Fair at the NEC next March, where you’ll be able to try the concept out for yourself!
![VR Shopping VR Shopping](https://optimise2.assets-servd.host/smart-hoopoe/production/content/images/vr-shopping.png?w=1920&h=1080&q=60&fm=jpg&fit=crop&dm=1559216038&s=825b9c5b1a026e4489c427f070eb894b 1920w, https://optimise2.assets-servd.host/smart-hoopoe/production/content/images/vr-shopping.png?w=1120&h=630&q=60&fm=jpg&fit=crop&dm=1559216038&s=6914f4a28bab8f4494030410a0e3bdfe 1120w, https://optimise2.assets-servd.host/smart-hoopoe/production/content/images/vr-shopping.png?w=800&h=450&q=60&fm=jpg&fit=crop&dm=1559216038&s=5088c9ebdd52a063642b133ccabd3499 800w, https://optimise2.assets-servd.host/smart-hoopoe/production/content/images/vr-shopping.png?w=1600&h=900&q=45&fm=jpg&fit=crop&dm=1559216038&s=0abd131568b62daf9f958e42d138f85b 1600w, https://optimise2.assets-servd.host/smart-hoopoe/production/content/images/vr-shopping.png?w=480&h=270&q=60&fm=jpg&fit=crop&dm=1559216038&s=139b0c6e4e5efbf819ce067b2b72120f 480w, https://optimise2.assets-servd.host/smart-hoopoe/production/content/images/vr-shopping.png?w=960&h=540&q=45&fm=jpg&fit=crop&dm=1559216038&s=df8d15400332b110b06cffe848696b3a 960w)
Perfect Christmas Trees
Real Christmas trees are great – you get to pick them, they look unique and they bring that lovely Christmassy pine smell to the home. But isn’t it annoying when the pines start to fall off! Well, with advances in the Internet of Things, that can already switch kettles on and off, and remotely adjust heating, we could harness this technology to keep our Christmas trees looking perfect all winter long. Using an app we could control when the tree is watered, and make sure the air around the tree remains at optimum temperature, to prevent annoying pine needles falling off and getting everywhere. Any excuse to not pick up the vacuum cleaner over Christmas!
![Programmable Christmas Decorations Programmable Christmas Decorations](https://optimise2.assets-servd.host/smart-hoopoe/production/content/images/decorations.png?w=1920&h=1080&q=60&fm=jpg&fit=crop&dm=1559222865&s=2ef0c837dacf5526e67d376ea2365103 1920w, https://optimise2.assets-servd.host/smart-hoopoe/production/content/images/decorations.png?w=1120&h=630&q=60&fm=jpg&fit=crop&dm=1559222865&s=b12764869656dfb578d2fdc8d17613ee 1120w, https://optimise2.assets-servd.host/smart-hoopoe/production/content/images/decorations.png?w=800&h=450&q=60&fm=jpg&fit=crop&dm=1559222865&s=e8889537555c07b11fc77182b22b71aa 800w, https://optimise2.assets-servd.host/smart-hoopoe/production/content/images/decorations.png?w=1600&h=900&q=45&fm=jpg&fit=crop&dm=1559222865&s=d7777b1a111c8f2f682d83199692410b 1600w, https://optimise2.assets-servd.host/smart-hoopoe/production/content/images/decorations.png?w=480&h=270&q=60&fm=jpg&fit=crop&dm=1559222865&s=5b554e3eb98332f0e6254c02f8796fda 480w, https://optimise2.assets-servd.host/smart-hoopoe/production/content/images/decorations.png?w=960&h=540&q=45&fm=jpg&fit=crop&dm=1559222865&s=29ce8a1747f7be389a89581eb077d477 960w)
Programmable Christmas Decorations
Advances in OLED technology mean that lighting can soon be flexible, bendable, and transparent, whilst also being low cost and lightweight. OLEDs also allow for large area illumination, which can be customisable by shape, size, design and colour. With all these incredible features, it may be possible that our windows of the future could be entirely covered in OLEDs. Come Christmas time, this means that the OLED windows could be easily programmed to light up in all sorts of colours and patterns, with no need to untangle the lights and brave the winter weather!
By using OLEDs alongside induction technology, which allows power to be transferred wirelessly, baubles on the Christmas tree could soon be programmable too! Perhaps in the future we’ll say goodbye to those arguments on “What colour theme should the tree be this year?” as we’ll be able to change the colour and design of the decorations every day!
Augmented Reality Family
In recent years, video chatting platforms have allowed us to stay close to our nearest and dearest, even if they’re on the other side of the world. Soon this could be taken to the next level, with augmented reality capabilities that could bring family members live to your living room. Pop on some AR glasses, and loved ones from all corners of the globe could appear around you as if they were really with you. The family can finally be together on Christmas Day, and, even better, if that one relation starts really getting on your nerves, you could even hide them from your view without them knowing!!
![Augmented Reality for Christmas Day Augmented Reality for Christmas Day](https://optimise2.assets-servd.host/smart-hoopoe/production/content/images/vr-christmas.png?w=800&h=450&q=60&fm=jpg&fit=crop&dm=1559216059&s=a7c1382d30dbd991b8bedc3f1274b20f 800w, https://optimise2.assets-servd.host/smart-hoopoe/production/content/images/vr-christmas.png?w=480&h=270&q=60&fm=jpg&fit=crop&dm=1559216059&s=3107a172c6a5ffe6e10f92b2cfe65cfb 480w, https://optimise2.assets-servd.host/smart-hoopoe/production/content/images/vr-christmas.png?w=960&h=540&q=45&fm=jpg&fit=crop&dm=1559216059&s=0590bb09ba9b454884601dbaf8af2a32 960w)
These ideas may seem futuristic, but thanks to the breadth of innovation happening here at CPI, we are actually only a few steps away from some of these Christmas technologies becoming a tangible reality. To find out how CPI is shaping our future world, make sure to keep up-to-date with the latest developments or follow us on Twitter.
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