10 sci-fi gadgets that could soon become real

Beam us up, Mr. Scott?

Eh, not quite. If teleportation ever becomes a reality, it won't likely be in our lifetime... but that doesn't mean that some of science fiction's most sacred gizmos aren't well underway toward development and commercialization in real life. In fact, in many cases, these devices could be closer to reality than you think.

New Scientist magazine rounded up ten sci-fi-tech gadgets and takes a serious look at how far along their real-world counterparts are. While in some cases we're looking at 30 years of additional development before this stuff becomes real, all of the devices look surprisingly promising.

Some highlights and favorites:

X-ray specs - Light can't pass through solid walls, but radio waves can. Attach a transmitter to the wall and you can get a sense of what's on the other side, kind of like radar. Such tools already exist (targeted at law enforcement uses), but improvements could dramatically increase their utility in the near future.

Invisibility cloak - As New Scientist notes, what was once an out-there pipe dream has all of a sudden become a tantalizingly real possibility, thanks to metamaterials than can bend waves around what's inside. With numerous research projects underway in this field, "invisible" products may be just a decade out.

Electronic surgery - Drawn right from Star Trek, where broken bones and blood vessels are healed with a gadget waved over the patient. Ultrasound is key to this development, as high-power waves can be used to cauterize bleeding arteries without resorting to invasive surgery and stitches. Just wrap an ultrasound cuff over the bleeding limb and it goes to work, zapping bleeders you can't even see.

Human-based gadget power - How much energy do we waste by tapping a toe, pacing in line, and chewing our food? The idea of harnessing this idle energy to recharge gadgetry has been around for decades, but now, thanks to nanotechnology that can capture microscopic movements and turn them into power, it's on its way to reality. One device from Stanford even uses your heartbeat as a generator.

Jet packs - What kid didn't try to make a jet pack out of fire extinguishers and his dad's leather belts? What, just me? Jet packs have long looked physically impossible for flights of more than a few seconds (even Mythbusters couldn't build one that worked), but new materials and designs are changing things up. Now you can order Martin Aircraft's jet pack, which offers 30 minutes of flight time, for about $100,000. Delivery: Later this year, if all goes well.

Five more on New Scientist's website -- underwater breathers, personal spacecraft, real-time language translators, and more! Go check them all out here!