It might have originated as fiction, but many of the disturbing and dystopian elements of Netflix's sci-fi series Black Mirrorare already encroaching into our lives, thanks to untrammelled recent advances in science and technology.
These include killer robot dogs, a social credit rating system in China, autonomous pizza delivery and even reports of families microchipping their kids.
Black Mirror made its debut in 2011, but with a seventh series not expected until 2025, MailOnline has compiled a list of the creepy technologies highlighted by previous episodes of the show which are slowly entering our everyday lives.
VR Memories
Episode The Entire History of You describes a world where people can access their memories through an implant that records everything they see.
The technology allows them to rewind, zoom in and sift through the scenes of their lives.
Google is currently workingwith health giant Novartis to produce groundbreaking smart contact lenses that are not a million miles away from this concept.
The two businesses will launch the technology with a glucose-monitoring lens for diabetics, and another one to treat farsightedness.
The VR app echoes 'The Entire History of You,' which features recordings of people's lives
The VR app transforms footage taken by a smartphone and uploads them into virtual reality
On top of this Snapchat debuted its Spectacles gadget in 2016, which shoots videos akin to human vision because the lenses have an angle of 115 degrees. It has since released three versions.
Spectacles 3 hit the market in 2019 with dual cameras to add depth and dimension to photos and videos.
And the most recent technology that appears to pull inspiration from the Black Mirror episode comes from startupWist.
The company is developing a smartphone application to record unforgettable moments, that are then uploaded to a virtual reality headset, allowing users to interact with their once-lived experiences.
The VR app, called Vivid, is available for beta on iOS, but pairs with a Quest VR headset and lets users invite friends to join them in their memories.
Killer Robot Dogs
In infamous episode Metalhead, viewers are transported to a time when robot dogs have taken over the world and are hunting down the remaining humans.
The robotsare autonomous robotic quadrupeds equipped with lethal weapons, including explosives, built-in firearms, data probes and solar charging - allowing them to stay powered indefinitely.
The episode was released in 2017, and at the time most saw it as simply science fiction.
But today, nations worldwide are building killer robodogs that will soon be released on the battlefield.
Viewers see a time when robot dogs have taken over the world and hunt down humans
But art appears to have anticipated life, as in this new autonomous weapon system combining a quadruped robot with a sniper rifle
Philadelphia-based Ghost Robotics and arms manufacturer SWORD International of Sparks showed off a robot dog design armed with a 6.5 mm Creedmoor sniper rifle capable of precisely hitting targets from 3,940 feet away.
A different video released last year was also reminiscent of the Black Mirror episode. It showeda robot dog opening fire with a submachine gun strapped to its back.
Alexander Atamanov, the founder of a Russian hoverbike company, uploaded the viral video, which shows a Unitree Yushu killer machine, that retails for about $3,000, shooting at snow-covered hills.
Immersive Games
In the episode Playtest, Cooper,an American who tests an upcoming game in London, is strapped to a device to transport him to the digital world.
The device is able to access his brain and target his fears.
The device ultimately kills the protagonist - which happens to be the theme of a supposed VR headset created by 30-year-old Oculus founder Palmer Luckey.
Luckey claims his NerveGearinstantly 'destroys the brain' of the user when they 'die' in a virtual game.
Cooper is strapped to a device to transport him into a dangerous digital world
Palmer Luckey claims his VR device'destroys the brain' of the user when they 'die' in a game
The device looks like a regular headset apart from the three terrifying 'explosive charge modules' pointed at the user's skull.
When the user dies virtually during gameplay, the modules fire at their head, killing them instantly.
Luckey admitted the device is not quite finished, and he will likely have trouble getting clearance to use it even when it is.
His tongue may have been in his cheek when he said: 'It is also, as far as I know, the first non-fiction example of a VR device that can actually kill the user. It won't be the last.'
Personality Ratings
In episode one of season three, Nosedive, Black Mirror introduces us to Lacie Pound, who lives in a world where anyone can rate your personality out of five stars, from friends to strangers you meet on the street.
In Nosedive, people have a social score that updates in real-time as people perform actions
A celebrity-filled music video was part of China's effort to win support for the credit system
In a similar move, China has rolled out a controversial social credit system, which rates its 1.4 billion citizens based on their daily behaviour.
People are givena social credit score, and those with high ratings get rewards - such as being allowed on the subway first or getting discounts for shopping - while punishments are given to those with low scores - for example, being banned from public transit.
The system, which launched in 2020 after being unveiled in 2014, assesses individuals, enterprises and government agencies on credit in four areas - administrative affairs, commercial activities, social behavior, and the judicial system, according to an outline issued by the State Council in 2014 cited by Global Times.
The social credit score is made possible by China's ever-expanding surveillance network, which currently boasts 200 million AI-powered cameras.
Pizza Trucks
The third episode in season four, Crocodile, followsMia 15 years after she helped her friend Rob cover up a hit-and-run death.
Mia and Rob are shown arguing inside her hotel room because he wants to write an anonymous letter to the victim's wife. During the argument, Mia breaks Rob's neck, killing him.
Mia then looks out the window and witnesses a self-driving pizza delivery truck hitting a pedestrian.
The episode aired in 2017 and, one year later, Pizza Hut announced a fully autonomous delivery concept vehicle that looks eerily similar to the one in Black Mirror.
In Crocodile,Mia notices a self-driving pizza delivery truck hit a pedestrian in a collision
Domino's took the next step in autonomous delivery by partnering with Nuro to deliver pizzas
Domino's also uses robotic pizza delivery machines to deliver its pies in select US states.
The robot vehicles, made by the well-funded startup Nuro, are entirely self-driving and can cart their cargo - in this case pizza - via in-unit storage.
Once the robot arrives at its destination, customers must meet the vehicle and use a special PIN provided to them when they ordered to unlock the hatch and collect their delivery.
Chipped children
A teenage Reddit user claims that her overprotective mother got her microchipped like a pet when she was a baby.
One commenter cheekily suggested she sue Black Mirror stealing her life story for the episode 'Arkangel,' about an overprotective mother who tracks her daughter with an implanted device.
'I'm a forgiving person. More forgiving than a lot of people,' the 17-year-old wrote in a thread on the r/AMA (Ask Me Anything) subreddit, where users invite others to ask them questions.
'And even I severely resent my mom's decision.'
Reddit does not verify user accounts, but the original poster identified herself as a 17-year-old female.
The teen claimed her uncle, a veterinarian, used a inserted the chip under the skin between her shoulder blades when she was a baby. This is the same location where veterinarians usually chip dogs and cats.
Besides this account, Elon Musk's ambitious Neuralink is also exploring the possibilities of chip implants in the human brain.
The implanted technology allows mum Marie to track daughter Sara's location in the episode
A microchip implant which one firm offered to all its staff to help them login to computers
