Science Fiction Prototypes as a Method for Discussing Socio-Technical Issues within Emerging Technology Research and Foresight

Abstract

This position article introduces science fiction prototyping as a thought-provoking method for arousing discussion within and between emerging technology research and foresight. The article introduces the method by demonstrating how it has already been employed within the emerging technology research domain, and how it has encouraged researchers to create science fictional stories that are based on extensive amount of research, relating mostly to their particular field of expertise. The article briefly deliberates the manner of how future studies, foresight and organizational research has already taken up and employed this method. Thereafter the article proceeds with a consideration on how foresight could further advance the future-oriented method to the unexplored fields of research that focus on the wider social, technical and economic areas of the emerging technologies.

Journeys in the Age of Smart Cities: Some Fresh Perspectives

“…An important part in the joint expedition is the co-creation with an explicit social community or consumer ecologythat in the smart city context may, e.g., be a do-it-yourself or an open innovation online community (Kymäläinen 2015). After defining the past and present situation of the social ecology, the research may take a future-oriented turn and focus on weak signals, wild cards, or black swans that explore the strategic new pathways based on the engagement with future customers (Kymäläinen 2016). The outcome of the social design is usually scenarios or more detailed future-oriented creative prototypes, exploiting the methods of speculative design, design fiction, or science fiction prototyping (ibid.…”

The Potential of Wearable Demonstrators Introducing Innovative Technologies

“…Lauff et al (2018) defines a prototype as "a physical or digital embodiment of critical elements of the intended design, and an iterative tool to enhance communication, enable learning, and inform decision-making at any point in the design process." (Lauff et al, 2018, p.10) From the viewpoint of futurologists, Bell et al (2013) and Kymalainen (2016) describe how sciencefiction prototypes effect technological developments in the present. Innovation and its promotion are often inspired by fictional concepts of the future (Kymalainen, 2016), that put technological novelties in a socio-cultural context and thus raise their credibility and the possibility for a market launch.…”

“…(Lauff et al, 2018, p.10) From the viewpoint of futurologists, Bell et al (2013) and Kymalainen (2016) describe how sciencefiction prototypes effect technological developments in the present. Innovation and its promotion are often inspired by fictional concepts of the future (Kymalainen, 2016), that put technological novelties in a socio-cultural context and thus raise their credibility and the possibility for a market launch. Demonstrators are usually viewed as technological prototypes which are close to market (Moultrie, 2015).…”