The are few films more iconic than Back to the Future. At the time, 2015 would have seemed like a surreal far off age with flying cars, hoverboards, garbage fuel and robotic petrol pumps. It turns out that the movie's writers may have been a little more visionary than even they might even have suspected. National Geographic takes an in-depth look at these technologies and how close they are now that 2015 is finally here..

Garbage Fuel, the source used to power the DeLorean time travel car, is here and has been for many years. Of course its application is not as simple as the at-home version demonstrated in the movie, however 'biogas' from food sources is currently being used in many locations, including Swedish city Kristianstad to generate electricity and heat.

Automated petrol pumps are almost here. The US based company Husky expects to roll out their robotic fuel pumps this year. Customers will be able to operate the system via smart phone app, never having to leave their car. Hoverboards and flying cars are a little further down the track however progress is good with strong investment from key players including Google and NASA. California-based Arx Pax will be launching their magnetism driven overboard on Oct 21, 2015 - the exact date that Marty and Doc Brown landed in the 'future'!

To find out more about the detailed progress of these technologies, click here..