Visions and realities in converging technologies

This paper analyses the relation between visions and real technology developments in the debate on converging technologies (CT). Based on the analysis of the main documents of the CT debate, a structuring of CT into eight application areas is advanced. The eight application and technology development areas are described in more detail. The analysis shows that convergence is actually happening in different technology fields but that research in most areas does not explicitly refer to the convergence concept. We also found that, within the respective fields, the distance between visions and real developments is quite different. In the field of brain enhancement, one of the most prominent within the CT debate, the gap between visions and the state of the art is greatest.