List of emerging technologies
From KYNNpedia
This is a list of emerging technologies, in-development technical innovations with significant potential in their applications. The criteria for this list is that the technology must:
- Exist in some way; purely hypothetical technologies cannot be considered emerging and should be covered in the list of hypothetical technologies instead. However, technologies being actively researched and prototyped are acceptable.
- Have a Wikipedia article or adjacent citation covering them.
- Not be widely used yet. Mainstream or extensively commercialized technologies can no longer be considered emerging.
Listing here is not a prediction that the technology will become widely adopted, only a recognition of significant potential to become widely adopted or highly useful if ongoing work continues, is successful, and the work is not overtaken by other technologies.
Agriculture
Emerging technology | Status | Potential applications | Related articles |
---|---|---|---|
Agricultural robotics<ref name="Develop agricultiural robots for future use">Starostin, I A; Eshchin, A V; Davydova, S A (2023). "Global trends in the development of agricultural robotics". IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science. 1138 (1): 012042. Bibcode:2023E&ES.1138a2042S. doi:10.1088/1755-1315/1138/1/012042.</ref><ref>A review of automation and robotics for the bio-industry. Journal of Biomechatronics Engineering Vol. 1, No. 1, (2008) 37–54</ref> | Research and development, trial projects | Automation of agriculture | Agricultural drone |
Closed ecological systems | Research and development,<ref>NASA – Investigation of a Closed Ecological System. Archived 13 November 2013 at the Wayback Machine nasa.gov</ref><ref>Ben Armentrout, and Heidi Kappes. Studies in Closed Ecological Systems: Biosphere in a Bottle</ref><ref>Frieda B. Taub Annual Review of Ecology and Systematics Vol. 5, (1974), pp. 139–160</ref> working demonstrators (e.g. Biosphere 2) | Agriculture, scientific research, space colonization | Greenhouse, Eden Project, Bioshelter, Seawater greenhouse |
Cultured meat | Research and development, trials<ref>"Is in vitro meat the future?". The Times. 9 May 2008. Archived from the original on 10 January 2014. Retrieved 7 December 2012.</ref><ref name=econ25212>"Artificial meat: Hamburger junction". The Economist. 25 February 2012. Archived from the original on 2 March 2012. Retrieved 3 March 2012.</ref> | Humane, resource-efficient, healthier, and cheaper meat<ref name=econ25212/> | New Harvest |
Atmospheric water generator<ref>McFadden, Christopher (27 December 2021). "Can We Ever Adopt a Scalable Water-From-Air Device?". interestingengineering.com. Retrieved 26 September 2023.</ref> | Working prototype | agriculture in semi-arid land | Desorption |
Vertical farming | Research, development, experiments, and diffusion<ref>"Vertical farming – Does it really stack up?". The Economist. 9 December 2010. Archived from the original on 15 November 2011. Retrieved 18 November 2011.</ref><ref name=":0">"Vertical Farming – Can Urban Agriculture Feed a Hungry World?". Spiegel. 22 July 2011. Archived from the original on 15 November 2011. Retrieved 18 November 2011.</ref><ref>"Vertical Harvest of Jackson Hole Will Grow Organic Produce Even in Winter". Inhabitat. 6 June 2012. Archived from the original on 22 September 2013. Retrieved 29 August 2013.</ref> | Space-efficient farming and space travel applications<ref name=":0" /> |
Construction
Emerging technology | Status | Potential applications | Related articles |
---|---|---|---|
Active structure | Research, development, commercialization | Adaptive structures that respond to different conditions, or supermassive buildings and infrastructure (e.g. space fountains) | |
Arcology | Research, development, commercialization | Photobioreactor § Outlook | |
Domed city | Planned feature for Mall of the World<ref>"Mohammed Bin Rashid launches 'Mall of the World', a temperature-controlled pedestrian city in Dubai". 5 July 2014.</ref><ref name="8 July 2014">"Mall of the World in Dubai". dubaifaqs.com. 8 July 2014.</ref><ref name="twentyfour">"Dubai's Mohammed Bin Rashid City: Collaboration with Universal Studios, over 100 hotel facilities: Will also boast largest mall in the world and park bigger than London's Hyde Park". Emirates 24/7. 26 November 2012.</ref> | Weather-controlled city, colonization of other celestial bodies |
Electronics, IT, and communications
Emerging technology | Status | Potential applications | Related articles |
---|---|---|---|
6G cellular communications<ref name="Applications, trends, technologies, and open research problems in 6G wireless">Saad, Walid; Bennis, Mehdi; Chen, Mingzhe (2019). "A Vision of 6G Wireless Systems: Applications, Trends, Technologies, and Open Research Problems". IEEE Network. 34 (3): 134–142. arXiv:1902.10265. doi:10.1109/MNET.001.1900287. S2CID 67856161.</ref><ref>"Do More › New & Next 6G: What It Is & When to Expect It". Lifeewire. 2019. Archived from the original on 25 September 2019. Retrieved 24 September 2019.</ref> | Conceptual | Mobile phones | |
Artificial general intelligence | Hypothetical, experiments<ref>"IBM's Watson supercomputer crowned Jeopardy king". BBC News. 17 February 2011. Archived from the original on 18 February 2011. Retrieved 17 April 2011.</ref><ref>"MIT scientists take a step closer to artificial intelligence". Computer Weekly. 18 November 2011. Archived from the original on 20 November 2011. Retrieved 18 November 2011.</ref><ref>"How innovative is Apple's new voice assistant, Siri?". New Scientist. 3 November 2011. Archived from the original on 3 March 2012. Retrieved 4 March 2012.</ref> | Creating intelligent devices and robots; AI can counsel (or even take charge) in scientific projects, government, army, corporate governance, film and books creation, inventions etc. | Progress in artificial intelligence, technological singularity, applications of artificial intelligence |
Biometrics | Diffusion | ||
Blockchain | Diffusion, commercialization | Finance, Digital currency, Art, Universal basic income, Identity (social science) | Bitcoin, Ethereum |
Carbon nanotube field-effect transistor | Research and development | Future miniaturization of transistors | |
Cashierless store | Limited commercialization | ||
Civic technology | Research and development, projects | Smart cities, more responsive government | Smart city, e-democracy, open data, intelligent environment |
Digital scent technology | Diffusion | Smell-O-Vision, iSmell | |
DNA digital data storage | Experiments | Mass data storage | |
Electronic nose | Research, limited commercialization<ref>"Tuberculosis breakthrough as scientists get funds for 'electronic nose'". The Guardian. 7 November 2011. Archived from the original on 1 October 2013. Retrieved 4 December 2011.</ref><ref>"Now, a mobile phone that can smell". The Times of India. 7 November 2011. Archived from the original on 22 May 2013. Retrieved 4 December 2011.</ref> | Detecting spoiled food, chemical weapons, and cancer | |
Emerging memory technologies
(T-RAM, CBRAM, SONOS, RRAM, racetrack memory, NRAM, phase-change memory, FJG RAM, millipede memory, Skyrmion, programmable metallization cell, ferroelectric RAM, magnetoresistive RAM, nvSRAM) |
In development | ||
Emerging magnetic data storage technologies | In development (HAMR, BPM); diffusion (SMR) | Greatly improved storage density compared to current HDDs, can be combined | |
E-textiles | Research, diffusion<ref>"Electronic Cotton". IEEE Spectrum. January 2012. Archived from the original on 23 April 2019. Retrieved 4 March 2012.</ref> | Wearable technology | |
Exascale computing | Projects | ||
Exocortex | Diffusion of primitive amplifications; working prototypes of more; Hypothetical, experiments on more substantial amplification | ||
Flexible electronics | Research, development, prototypes, limited commercialization (e.g. Samsung Galaxy Fold) | Flexible and/or foldable electronic devices, and flexible solar cells which are lightweight, can be rolled up for launch, and are easily deployable | Nokia Morph, Flexible organic light-emitting diode |
Fourth-generation optical discs (3D optical data storage, Holographic data storage) | Research, prototyping<ref>"G.E.'s breakthrough can put 100 DVDs on a disc". Tehran Times. 28 April 2009. Archived from the original on 18 September 2015. Retrieved 29 April 2011.</ref> | Storing and archiving data previously erased for economic reasons | Blu-ray Disc, Optical storage |
Hybrid forensics<ref>Adams, R., Mann, G., & Hobbs, V. (2017). ISEEK, a tool for high speed, concurrent, distributed forensic data acquisition. Paper presented in Valli, C. (Ed.). The Proceedings of 15th Australian Digital Forensics Conference 5–6 December 2017, Edith Cowan University, Perth, Australia DOI 10.4225/75/5a838d3b1d27f [1] Archived 25 March 2018 at the Wayback Machine</ref> | Research, commercialization | Digital forensics, electronic discovery, malware detection, IT compliance | |
Li-Fi | Demos, requires standardization | Laser communication in space | |
Machine vision | Research, prototyping, commercialization<ref name="telegraph1">"The big plan to build a brain". The Telegraph. 21 June 2011. Archived from the original on 15 July 2011. Retrieved 18 November 2011.</ref> | Biometrics, controlling processes (e.g., in driverless car, automated guided vehicle), detecting events (e.g., in visual surveillance), interaction (e.g., in human–computer interaction), robot vision | Computer vision, pattern recognition, digital image processing |
Magnonics | Research | Data storage | |
Memristor | Working prototype<ref>"Remapping Computer Circuitry to Avert Impending Bottlenecks". The New York Times. 28 February 2011. Archived from the original on 24 December 2012. Retrieved 27 April 2011.</ref><ref>"Memristor revolution backed by HP". BBC News. 2 September 2010. Archived from the original on 18 May 2011. Retrieved 27 April 2011.</ref> | Smaller, faster, more energy-efficient storage, analogue electronics, programmable logic,<ref>U.S. patent 7,203,789</ref> signal processing,<ref>U.S. patent 7,302,513</ref> neural networks,<ref>U.S. patent 7,359,888</ref> control systems,<ref>U.S. patent 7,609,086</ref> reconfigurable computing,<ref>U.S. patent 7,902,857</ref> brain–computer interfaces,<ref>U.S. patent 7,902,867</ref> RFID,<ref>U.S. patent 8,113,437</ref> and pattern recognition<ref>Corinto, Fernando; Ascoli, Alon; Gilli, Marco (2012). "Memristor Models for Pattern Recognition Systems". Advances in Neuromorphic Memristor Science and Applications. Springer. pp. 245–267. doi:10.1007/978-94-007-4491-2_13. ISBN 978-94-007-4490-5.</ref> | |
Molecular electronics | Research and development | ||
Multimodal contactless biometric face/iris systems | Deployed at various airports and federal security checkpoints<ref>"Shannon Airport deploys face recognition". Planet Biometrics. 28 September 2018. Archived from the original on 28 September 2018. Retrieved 28 September 2018.</ref> | Unimodal facial recognition scanners | |
Nanoelectromechanical systems | Research and development | ||
Nanoradio | Research and development, diffusion | ||
Neuromorphic engineering | Research and development | ||
Optical computing | Hypothetical, experiments; some components of integrated circuits have been developed<ref>"US scientists build first 'antilaser'". ABC. 18 February 2011. Archived from the original on 26 April 2011. Retrieved 21 April 2011.</ref> | Smaller, faster, lower power consuming computing | |
Quantum computing | Experiments,<ref>"Quantum computing device hints at powerful future". BBC News. 22 March 2011. Archived from the original on 8 April 2011. Retrieved 17 April 2011.</ref> commercialization,<ref>"First Ever Commercial Quantum Computer Now Available for $10 Million". ExtremeTech. 20 May 2011. Archived from the original on 27 January 2012. Retrieved 22 May 2011.</ref> early diffusion | Much faster computing for some kinds of problems, chemical modeling, new materials with programmed properties, Hypothetical of high-temperature superconductivity and superfluidity | |
Quantum cryptography | Commercialization<ref>"Does quantum mechanics offer the best way to protect our most valuable data?". The Independent. 31 March 2011. Archived from the original on 2 April 2011. Retrieved 17 April 2011.</ref> | Secure communications | |
Quantum radar | Prototypes | ||
Radio-frequency identification | Diffusion of high cost<ref>"Will NFC make the mobile wallet work?". BBC News. 7 October 2011. Archived from the original on 6 December 2011. Retrieved 8 December 2011.</ref><ref>"Internet of things: Should you worry if your jeans go smart?". BBC News. 23 September 2011. Archived from the original on 6 December 2011. Retrieved 8 December 2011.</ref><ref>"RFID tagging: Chips with everything". The Telegraph. 20 May 2009. Archived from the original on 29 February 2012. Retrieved 8 December 2011.</ref> | Smartstores – RFID based self checkout (keeping track of all incoming and outgoing products), food packaging, smart shelves, smart carts. See: potential uses | |
Software-defined radio | Development, commercialization | Cognitive radio, Mesh networks, Software defined antenna | GNU Radio, List of software-defined radios, Universal Software Radio Peripheral |
Solid-state transformer | Development, prototypes | ||
Speech recognition | Research, development, commercialization | ||
Spintronics | Working prototypes<ref>"Scientists developing spintronic computer chips". The Times of India. 14 April 2011. Archived from the original on 7 November 2011. Retrieved 17 April 2011.</ref> | Data storage, computing devices | |
Subvocal recognition | Research, development, commercialization | ||
Thermal copper pillar bump | Working prototypes in discrete devices | Electric circuit cooling, micro-fluidic actuators, thermoelectric power generation | Ultra high definition holographic disc, Metal–insulator transition |
Three-dimensional integrated circuit | Development, commercialization | Memory and data processing | |
Twistronics | Development |
Entertainment
Emerging technology | Status | Potential applications | Related articles |
---|---|---|---|
Immersive virtual reality | Hypothetical, limited commercialization | An artificial environment where the user feels just as immersed as they usually feel in conscious reality. | Virtusphere, 3rd Space Vest, haptic suit, immersive technology, simulated reality, holodeck (fictional) |
Synthetic media | Research and development | Films, photos | Deepfake, StyleGAN, DeepDream, DALL-E, Stable Diffusion, Sora |
Optoelectronics
Emerging technology | Status | Potential applications | Related articles |
---|---|---|---|
Laser video display | Limited commercialization (e.g. Mitsubishi LaserVue TV in 2008) | Displays with a very wide colour gamut | Laser TV, Comparison of display technology |
Holography (holographic display, computer-generated holography) | Diffusion<ref>"Scientist: Holographic television to become reality". CNN. 7 October 2008. Archived from the original on 16 January 2011. Retrieved 29 April 2011.</ref><ref>"Holographic video takes step forward with updated display". The Independent. 5 November 2010. Archived from the original on 9 November 2010. Retrieved 29 April 2011.</ref><ref>"Phone calls in 3-D soon". The New Straits Times. 9 January 2011. Archived from the original on 16 July 2018. Retrieved 29 April 2011.</ref><ref>"Holograms get real: Startup creates objects out of light and thin air". CNET. 7 October 2021. Retrieved 28 October 2021.</ref> | ||
Optical transistor | Some prototypes | ||
Screenless display (Virtual retinal display, Bionic contact lens, Augmented reality, Virtual reality) | Experiments | Virtual tools and entertainment in a real-world environment, aids for the visually impaired | Head-mounted display, Head-up display, Adaptive optics, EyeTap, Google Glass, Microsoft HoloLens, AR cloud<ref>"Augmented Reality Is The Operating System of the Future. AR Cloud Is How We Get There". Forbes. 21 February 2019. Archived from the original on 27 June 2019. Retrieved 27 June 2019.</ref> |
Volumetric (3D) display | Research, working prototypes, commercialization<ref>"3D display technology is no headache, claim researchers". The Engineer. 5 April 2011. Archived from the original on 14 March 2012. Retrieved 17 April 2011.</ref> | Television, computer interfaces, cinemas, 3-dimensional imagery | Autostereoscopic display, stereoscopic display, volumetric display, Holographic display, Light Field display, Nintendo 3DS, Swept-volume display |
Energy
Emerging technology | Status | Potential applications | Related articles |
---|---|---|---|
Airborne wind turbine | Research<ref>"Getting wind farms off the ground". The Economist. 7 June 2007. Archived from the original on 5 December 2011. Retrieved 7 December 2011.</ref><ref>"Wind turbines take to the skies". BBC News. 3 June 2010. Archived from the original on 4 December 2011. Retrieved 7 December 2011.</ref><ref>"Airborne Wind Turbines". The New York Times. 9 December 2007. Archived from the original on 21 May 2012. Retrieved 7 December 2011.</ref> | Wind power generation at higher altitudes, increasing efficiency | KiteGen |
Americium battery | Estimated working prototype in 5–10 years from 2019<ref>"Americium Power Source". thefutureofthings.com. 1 January 2019. Archived from the original on 10 August 2019. Retrieved 14 June 2019.</ref> | Energy storage | |
Artificial photosynthesis | Research, experiments,<ref>"Solar 'Artificial Leaf' Is Unveiled by Researchers". Reuters. 29 March 2011. Archived from the original on 20 April 2011. Retrieved 21 April 2011.</ref> growing interest in a macroscience global project<ref>Faunce, Thomas A.; Lubitz, Wolfgang; Rutherford, A. W. (Bill); MacFarlane, Douglas; Moore, Gary F.; Yang, Peidong; Nocera, Daniel G.; Moore, Tom A.; Gregory, Duncan H.; Fukuzumi, Shunichi; Yoon, Kyung Byung; Armstrong, Fraser A.; Wasielewski, Michael R.; Styring, Stenbjorn (20 February 2013). "Energy and environment policy case for a global project on artificial photosynthesis". Energy & Environmental Science. 6 (3): 695–698. doi:10.1039/C3EE00063J. ISSN 1754-5706.</ref> | Photosynthesis-like energy and oxygen production from artificial structures | Sustainocene, Renewable energy, Nanotechnology |
Concentrated solar power | Growing markets in California, Spain, Northern Africa<ref>"California approves Tessera solar plant". Reuters. 28 October 2010. Archived from the original on 25 July 2012. Retrieved 4 May 2011.</ref> | Electricity generation | DESERTEC, BrightSource Energy, Solar Millennium |
Double-layer capacitor | Diffusion, continued development<ref>"Ultracapacitors Gain Traction as Battery Alternative". Reuters. 30 March 2011. Archived from the original on 4 May 2011. Retrieved 4 May 2011.</ref> | Faster-charging, longer-lasting, more flexible, greener energy storage (e.g. for regenerative braking) | |
Energy harvesting | Experiments | Constant energy source for mobile, wearable and ubiquitous devices | Humavox |
Flywheel energy storage | Limited commercialization | Energy storage | |
Fusion power | Research, experiments | Electricity and heat generation, fusion torch recycling with waste heat | ITER, NIF, Wendelstein 7-X, Magnetic confinement fusion, Dense plasma focus, Muon-catalyzed fusion |
Generation IV nuclear reactor | Research, experiments | Electricity and heat generation, transmutation of nuclear waste stockpiles from traditional reactors | |
Gravity battery | Small-scale examples | Energy storage | |
Home fuel cell | Research, commercialization<ref>"MIT develops way to bank solar energy at home". Reuters. 31 July 2008. Archived from the original on 26 July 2012. Retrieved 24 December 2011.</ref><ref>"All eyes on Bloom Box fuel cell launch". The Guardian. 22 February 2010. Archived from the original on 9 September 2013. Retrieved 24 December 2011.</ref><ref>"Japan aims its home fuel cells at Europe". BBC News. 12 March 2010. Archived from the original on 4 October 2020. Retrieved 24 December 2011.</ref> | Off-the-grid, producing electricity in using an environmentally friendly fuel as a backup during long term power failures. | Autonomous building, Bloom Energy Server |
Lithium–air battery | Research, experiments<ref>Kraytsberg A, Ein-Eli Y (2011). "Review on Li-air batteries – Opportunities, limitations and perspective". Journal of Power Sources,196:p.886-893.</ref> | Laptops, mobile phones, long-range electric cars; storing energy for electric grid | |
Lithium iron phosphate battery | Commercialization | Energy storage | |
Lithium–sulfur battery | Research and development | Energy storage | |
Magnesium battery | Early commercialization | Energy storage | |
Molten salt reactor | Research, experiments | Electricity and heat generation | |
Nanowire battery | Experiments, prototypes<ref>"Scientists say paper battery could be in the works". Reuters. 7 December 2009. Archived from the original on 6 July 2011. Retrieved 4 May 2011.</ref><ref>"Microfiber fabric makes its own electricity?". Reuters. 14 February 2008. Archived from the original on 25 July 2012. Retrieved 4 May 2011.</ref> | Laptops, mobile phones, long-range electric cars; storing energy for electric grid | |
Nantenna | Research<ref>"A new device to tap more solar energy invented". The Hindu. 18 May 2011. Archived from the original on 17 August 2011. Retrieved 24 December 2011.</ref><ref>"Heat scavenging – Stealing the heat". The Economist. 4 March 2010. Archived from the original on 2 January 2012. Retrieved 24 December 2011.</ref><ref>"New Rays". Businessworld. 21 May 2011. Retrieved 24 December 2011.[permanent dead link]</ref> | Electricity generation | |
Ocean thermal energy conversion | Prototype | Electricity generation | |
Solid-state battery | Niche uses | Reliable, power-dense energy storage (particularly for electric cars and wearable technology) | |
Smart grid | Research, diffusion<ref>"Electricity to power 'smart grid'". BBC News. 18 May 2009. Archived from the original on 24 May 2009. Retrieved 4 March 2012.</ref><ref>"Smart Grid Costs Are Massive, but Benefits Will Be Larger, Industry Study Says". The New York Times. 25 May 2011. Archived from the original on 23 March 2012. Retrieved 4 March 2012.</ref><ref>"Pushing the low carbon boundaries: South Korea's smart grid initiative". The Guardian. 5 September 2011. Archived from the original on 31 December 2013. Retrieved 4 March 2012.</ref> | Advanced grid power management | Smart meter, SuperSmart Grid |
Space-based solar power | Early research | Electricity generation | |
Thorium nuclear fuel cycle | Research started in the 1960s, still ongoing | Electricity and heat generation | |
Vortex engine | Power generation | ||
Wireless energy transfer | Prototypes, diffusion, short range consumer products<ref>"Wireless energy promise powers up". BBC News. 7 June 2007. Archived from the original on 17 September 2007. Retrieved 4 May 2011.</ref><ref>"FCC approves first wireless 'power-at-a-distance' charging system". Engadget. 27 December 2017. Archived from the original on 27 December 2017. Retrieved 27 December 2017.</ref> | Wirelessly powered equipment: laptop, cell phones, electric cars, etc. | WiTricity, resonant inductive coupling |
Zero-energy building | Expansion | Energy-efficient homes | Passive house |
Materials and textiles
Emerging technology | Status | Potential applications | Related articles |
---|---|---|---|
4D printing | Research and development | ||
Aerogel | Hypothetical, experiments, diffusion, early uses<ref>"Sto AG, Cabot Create Aerogel Insulation". Construction Digital. 15 November 2011. Archived from the original on 31 December 2011. Retrieved 18 November 2011.</ref> | Improved thermal insulation (for pipelines, aerospace, etc.), as well as insulative "glass" if it can be made clear | |
Amorphous metal | Experiments, use in amorphous metal transformers | Armor, implants | |
Bioplastic | Limited commercialization (e.g. polylactic acid in 3D printing) | Disposable packaging and single-use items | |
Conductive polymers | Research, experiments, prototypes | Lighter and cheaper wires, antistatic materials, organic solar cells | Jacquard weaving |
Cryogenic treatment | Research, experiments, prototypes | Significantly stronger metal components | |
Edible packaging | Diffusion | Biodegradable alternatives to plastic | |
Electric armour | Prototypes | Better protection for warships and armoured fighting vehicles from shaped charge weapons | |
Fullerene | Experiments, diffusion | Programmable matter | |
Graphene | Hypothetical, experiments, diffusion, early uses<ref>"Is graphene a miracle material?". BBC Click. 21 May 2011. Archived from the original on 4 October 2020. Retrieved 18 November 2011.</ref><ref>"Could graphene be the new silicon?". The Guardian. 13 November 2011. Archived from the original on 2 September 2013. Retrieved 18 November 2011.</ref> | Higher-specific strength structural components, higher-frequency transistors, lower-cost mobile displays, automotive hydrogen storage, biosensors,<ref>Tehrani, Z. (1 September 2014). "Generic epitaxial graphene biosensors for ultrasensitive detection of cancer risk biomarker" (PDF). 2D Materials. 1 (2): 025004. Bibcode:2014TDM.....1b5004T. doi:10.1088/2053-1583/1/2/025004. S2CID 55035225.</ref> more efficient batteries<ref>"Applications of Graphene under Development". understandingnano.com. Archived from the original on 21 September 2014. Retrieved 16 June 2011.</ref> | |
Lab-on-a-chip | Limited commercialization | More efficient laboratory analysis | |
High-temperature superconductivity | Cryogenic receiver front-end (CRFE) RF and microwave filter systems for mobile phone base stations; prototypes in dry ice; experiments for lower temperatures<ref>"The 'new age' of super materials". BBC News. 5 March 2007. Archived from the original on 4 October 2020. Retrieved 27 April 2011.</ref> | No-loss conductors, frictionless bearings, magnetic levitation, lossless high-capacity accumulators, electric cars, heat-free integrated circuits | |
Magnetic nanoparticles | Development | Cancer treatment,<ref>Rabias, I.; et al. (2010). "Rapid magnetic heating treatment by highly charged maghemite nanoparticles on Wistar rats exocranial glioma tumors at microliter volume". Biomicrofluidics. 4 (2): 024111. doi:10.1063/1.3449089. PMC 2917883. PMID 20697578.</ref><ref name="Kumar">Kumar, CS; Mohammad, F (2011). "Magnetic nanomaterials for hyperthermia-based therapy and controlled drug delivery". Adv. Drug Deliv. Rev. 63 (9): 789–808. doi:10.1016/j.addr.2011.03.008. PMC 3138885. PMID 21447363.</ref> wastewater treatment<ref>F.M. Koehler, Fabian M.; M. Rossier; M. Waelle; E.K. Athanassiou; L.K. Limbach; R.N. Grass; D. Günther; W.J. Stark (2009). "Magnetic EDTA: Coupling heavy metal chelators to metal nanomagnets for rapid removal of cadmium, lead and copper from contaminated water". Chem. Commun. 32 (32): 4862–4. doi:10.1039/B909447D. PMID 19652806. S2CID 33582926.</ref> | |
Magnetorheological fluid | Research and development, limited magnetorheological damping applications | Seismic damping for earthquake resistance | Electrorheological fluid |
Microfluidics | Research and development | ||
High-temperature superfluidity | Superfluid gyroscopes exist but work at very low temperatures | High-precision measure of gravity, navigation and maneuver devices, possible devices to emit gravitomagnetic field, frictionless mechanical devices | |
Metamaterials | Hypothetical, experiments, diffusion<ref>"Strides in Materials, but No Invisibility Cloak". The New York Times. 8 November 2010. Archived from the original on 1 July 2017. Retrieved 21 April 2011.</ref> | Microscopes, cameras, metamaterial cloaking, cloaking devices | |
Metal foam | Research, limited commercialization | Space colonies, floating cities | |
Multi-function structures<ref>NAE Website: Frontiers of Engineering Archived 28 July 2014 at the Wayback Machine. Nae.edu. Retrieved 22 February 2011.</ref> | Hypothetical, experiments, some prototypes, few commercial | Wide range of applications (e.g. self-health monitoring, self-healing materials) | |
Nanomaterials: carbon nanotubes | Hypothetical, experiments, diffusion, early uses<ref>"Carbon nanotubes used to make batteries from fabrics". BBC News. 21 January 2010. Archived from the original on 4 October 2020. Retrieved 27 April 2011.</ref><ref>"Researchers One Step Closer to Building Synthetic Brain". Daily Tech. 25 April 2011. Archived from the original on 29 April 2011. Retrieved 27 April 2011.</ref> | Higher-specific strength structural components | Potential applications of carbon nanotubes, Carbon-fiber-reinforced polymers |
Quantum dot | Research, experiments, prototypes,<ref>"'Quantum dots' to boost performance of mobile cameras". BBC News. 22 March 2010. Archived from the original on 4 October 2020. Retrieved 16 April 2011.</ref> commercialization[citation needed] | Quantum dot lasers, quantum dot displays, faster data communication, laser scalpels | |
Self-healing materials | Research, experiments | Infrastructure, robotics, biotech | |
Silicene | Early research | Nanoscale electronics | |
Superalloy | Research, diffusion | Significantly stronger metal components (particularly in aircraft jet engines) | |
Synthetic diamond | Research, commercialization | Electronics | |
Time crystal | Research experiments<ref>Richerme, Phil (18 January 2017). "Viewpoint: How to Create a Time Crystal". Physics. 10: 5. doi:10.1103/Physics.10.5. Archived from the original on 31 May 2019. Retrieved 2 February 2017.</ref> | Quantum computers with stable qubits | |
Translucent concrete | Commercialization | Construction of buildings and sculptures (e.g. Europe Gate) |
Medicine
Emerging technology | Status | Potential applications | Related articles |
---|---|---|---|
Artificial uterus | Research, experiments | Space travel, extracorporeal pregnancy, reprogenetics, same-sex procreation | |
Body implant, prosthesis | Trials, from animal (e.g., brain implants) to human clinical (e.g., insulin pump implant), to commercial production (e.g. pacemaker, joint replacement, cochlear implant) | Brain implant, retinal implant | Prosthetics, prosthetics in fiction, cyborg |
Cryonics | Hypothetical, research, commercialization (e.g. Alcor, Cryonics Institute) | Life extension | |
De-extinction | Research, development, trials | Animal husbandry, pets, zoos | Revival of the woolly mammoth |
Electronic medical records | Deployment | Replacing paper medical records | |
Human DNA vaccination and mRNA vaccination | Implementation in 2021 to combat the COVID-19 pandemic | Disease vaccinations, cancer therapy | |
Enzybiotics | Successful first trials | ||
Genetic engineering of organisms and viruses | Research, development, commercialization<ref>"A giant leap into the unknown: GM salmon that grows and grows". The Independent. 22 September 2010. Archived from the original on 13 September 2011. Retrieved 5 May 2011.</ref><ref>"Gene therapy is cure for 'boy in the bubble' syndrome". The Telegraph. 24 August 2011. Archived from the original on 29 August 2011. Retrieved 18 November 2011.</ref> | Creating and modifying species (mainly improving their physical and mental capabilities), bio-machines, eliminating genetic disorders (gene therapy), new materials production,<ref>"USU Synthetic Spider Silk Lab awarded $1.9 million in DOE Energy Efficient Transportation Technology Funds". CacheValleyDaily.com. Archived from the original on 4 October 2020. Retrieved 12 October 2014.</ref> healthier and cheaper food, creating drugs and vaccines, research in natural sciences, bioremediation,<ref>Shivani Sharma. "Application of Genetic Engineering in Bioremediation: Deinococcus Radiodurans". biotecharticles.com. Archived from the original on 25 October 2014. Retrieved 25 October 2014.</ref> detecting arsenic,<ref>Katharine Sanderson. "New Portable Kit Detects Arsenic in Wells". acs.org. Archived from the original on 4 October 2013. Retrieved 25 October 2014.</ref> CO2 reducing superplant,<ref>EditorDavid (19 May 2018). "Anti-GMO Activists Slow Scientists Breeding a CO2-Reducing Superplant". science.slashdot.org. Archived from the original on 14 July 2019. Retrieved 14 July 2019.</ref> | Biopunk, Genetically modified food, superhuman, human enhancement, transhumanism, gene doping, designer baby, genetic pollution |
Hibernation or suspended animation | Research, development, animal trials<ref>"Patients to be frozen into state of suspended animation for surgery". The Telegraph. 26 September 2010. Archived from the original on 5 February 2011. Retrieved 21 April 2011.</ref> | Organ transplantation, space travel, prolonged surgery, emergency care | |
Life extension, strategies for engineered negligible senescence | Research, experiments, animal testing<ref>"Doubt on Anti-Aging Molecule as Drug Trial Stops". The New York Times. 10 January 2011. Archived from the original on 26 October 2011. Retrieved 1 May 2011.</ref><ref>"Signs of ageing halted in the lab". BBC News. 2 November 2011. Archived from the original on 17 December 2011. Retrieved 16 December 2011.</ref> | Increased life spans | Immortality, biological immortality |
Nanomedicine | Research, experiments, limited use<ref>"Aiming for clinical excellence". The Guardian. 26 November 2011. Archived from the original on 31 December 2013. Retrieved 16 December 2011.</ref><ref>"Nanotechnoglogy world: Nanomedicine offers new cures". The Guardian. 6 September 2011. Archived from the original on 31 December 2013. Retrieved 16 December 2011.</ref> | ||
Nanosensors | Research and development | ||
Omni Processor | Research and development; some prototypes | ||
Oncolytic virus | Human trials (Talimogene laherparepvec, reolysin, JX-594), commercialisation (H101) | Cancer therapy, imaging | Oncolytic virus |
Personalized medicine, full genome sequencing | Research, experiments<ref>"Genetic test could be used to 'personalise' drugs, say scientists". The Independent. 1 March 2010. Archived from the original on 4 March 2010. Retrieved 16 April 2011.</ref> | Personalized medical procedures, genome sequencing during drug trials | Personal genomics |
Phage therapy | First trial uses | ||
Plantibody | Clinical trials | ||
Regenerative medicine | Some laboratory trials<ref>"Scientists Grow Viable Urethras From Boys' Cells". Fox News. 8 March 2011. Archived from the original on 11 March 2011. Retrieved 27 April 2011.</ref> | Life extension | |
Robotic surgery | Research, diffusion<ref>"Doctors grapple with the value of robotic surgery". Houston Chronicle. 16 September 2011. Retrieved 24 December 2011.</ref><ref>"Robotic surgery making inroads in many medical procedures". The Jakarta Post. 8 March 2011. Archived from the original on 20 December 2011. Retrieved 24 December 2011.</ref><ref>"Doctors Perform First Fully Robotic Surgery". PC World. 21 October 2010. Archived from the original on 24 November 2010. Retrieved 24 December 2011.</ref> | ||
Senolytic | Under investigation | ||
Stem cell treatments | Research, experiments, phase I human trial spinal cord injury treatment (GERON), cultured cornea transplants<ref>"Scientists make eye's retina from stem cells". BBC News. 6 April 2011. Archived from the original on 25 April 2011. Retrieved 27 April 2011.</ref><ref>"Medical marvels". The Guardian. 30 January 2009. Archived from the original on 22 October 2014. Retrieved 16 December 2011.</ref> | Treatment for a wide range of diseases and injuries | Stem cell, stem cell treatments |
Synthetic biology, synthetic genomics | Research, development, first synthetic bacteria created May 2010<ref>"'Artificial life' breakthrough announced by scientists". BBC News. 20 May 2010. Archived from the original on 11 May 2011. Retrieved 29 April 2011.</ref><ref>"Scientist Craig Venter creates life for first time in laboratory sparking debate about 'playing god'". The Telegraph. 20 May 2010. Archived from the original on 25 December 2011. Retrieved 29 April 2011.</ref> | Infinitely scalable production processes based on programmable species of bacteria and other life forms | BioBrick, iGEM, synthetic genomics |
Tissue engineering | Research, diffusion<ref>"Artificial blood vessels created on a 3D printer". BBC News. 16 September 2011. Archived from the original on 29 December 2011. Retrieved 26 December 2011.</ref><ref>"Penis tissue replaced in the lab". BBC News. 10 November 2009. Archived from the original on 3 March 2012. Retrieved 26 December 2011.</ref><ref>"U.S. scientists create artificial lungs, of sorts". Reuters. 24 June 2010. Archived from the original on 27 July 2012. Retrieved 26 December 2011.</ref><ref>"Silkworms could aid a breakthrough in tissue engineering". BBC News. 15 December 2011. Archived from the original on 15 December 2011. Retrieved 26 December 2011.</ref> | Organ printing, tooth regeneration | |
Tricorder | Research and development | Diagnosing medical conditions | Medical tricorder |
Virotherapy | Research, human trials | Gene therapy, cancer therapy | Virotherapy, Oncolytic Virus |
Vitrification or cryoprotectant | Research, some experiments<ref>"Research updates: CMU prof wins grants for very cool technology". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. 11 August 2010. Archived from the original on 4 October 2020. Retrieved 18 November 2011.</ref> | Organ transplantation, cryonics |
Neuroscience
Emerging technology | Status | Potential applications | Related articles |
---|---|---|---|
Artificial brain | Research<ref name="telegraph1" /> | Treatment of neurological disease, artificial intelligence | Blue Brain Project, Human Brain Project |
Brain–computer interface | Research and commercialization | Faster communication and learning, as well as more "real" entertainment (generation of feelings and information in brain on-demand) and the control of emotions in the mentally ill<ref>"DARPA Program Seeks to Use Brain Implants to Control Mental Illness – MIT Technology Review". MIT Technology Review.</ref> | Experience machine, Neuralink, Stent-electrode recording array |
Brain-reading, neuroinformatics | Research<ref>"Mind-reading research: the major breakthroughs". The Telegraph. 22 September 2011. Archived from the original on 3 December 2011. Retrieved 18 November 2011.</ref><ref>"'Mind-reading device' recreates what we see in our heads". The Telegraph. 22 September 2011. Archived from the original on 11 November 2011. Retrieved 18 November 2011.</ref> | ||
Electroencephalography | Research, diffusion<ref>"'Mind Control' Possible in 5 Years: IBM". NBC Bay Area. 21 December 2011. Archived from the original on 31 December 2013. Retrieved 21 December 2011.</ref> | Controlling electronic devices via brain waves | BrainGate |
Head transplant | Success in animal experiments, including 2-headed result | Treatment of debilitating diseases or severe disfigurement | Brain transplant, hand transplantation, organ transplantation |
Memory erasure | Treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder | ||
Neuroprosthetics | Research, animal trials | Visual prosthesis, brain implant, exocortex, retinal implant, neurograin<ref>"Brown to receive up to $19M to engineer next-generation brain-computer interface". Brown.edu. Archived from the original on 10 July 2019. Retrieved 9 July 2019.</ref> | |
Wetware computer | Experimentation | Artificial general intelligence, better understanding of neurons |
Military
Emerging technology | Status | Potential applications | Related articles |
---|---|---|---|
Caseless ammunition | Field tests and limited commercialization | Lighter and cheaper ammunition; the lack of a case may also simplify the design of firearms | Lightweight Small Arms Technologies |
Cloaking device | Successful experiments cloaking small objects under some conditions<ref>Rachel Kaufman (28 January 2011). "New Invisibility Cloak Closer to Working "Magic"". National Geographic News. Archived from the original on 3 February 2011. Retrieved 4 February 2011.</ref> | Stealth | Metamaterial cloaking |
Directed-energy weapon | Research, development, some prototypes<ref>"Laser gun tested on US Navy ship in Pacific Ocean". BBC News. 11 April 2011. Archived from the original on 16 April 2011. Retrieved 18 April 2011.</ref> | Laser Weapon System, Iron Beam | |
Electrolaser | Research and development | ||
Electrothermal-chemical technology | Research and development | Tank, artillery, and close-in weapon systems | |
Force field | Hypothetical, experiments<ref>"Star Trek-style force-field armour being developed by military scientists". The Telegraph. 20 March 2010. Archived from the original on 28 January 2011. Retrieved 16 April 2011.</ref> | Military and law enforcement, space travel | Plasma window |
Green bullet | Development | Environment-friendly ammunition | |
Hypersonic cruise missile | Development | Avangard, Kinzhal, Zircon, BrahMos-II, Prompt Global Strike, DARPA Falcon Project, DF-ZF, Boeing X-51 Waverider | |
Laser weapon | Research and development, trials | Tracking and destruction of rockets, bombs, drones etc.<ref>"Navy tests new vehicle-mounted laser weapon". Fox News. 29 September 2014. Archived from the original on 11 October 2014.</ref> | Advanced Tactical Laser, High Energy Liquid Laser Area Defense System |
MAHEM | Research and development | A formed penetrator using molten metal in place of self-forging explosives | Explosively pumped flux compression generator |
Precision-guided firearm | Research and development | Increased accuracy by marksmen | EXACTO, Smart bullet, TrackingPoint |
Railgun | Research and development<ref>"Electromagnetic weapons – Frying tonight". The Economist. 15 October 2011. Archived from the original on 19 November 2011. Retrieved 19 November 2011.</ref><ref>"Navy Sets World Record With Incredible, Sci-Fi Weapon". Fox News. 10 December 2010. Archived from the original on 27 November 2011. Retrieved 19 November 2011.</ref> | Cheaper and safer ammunition | Coilgun |
Stealth technology | Research and development | Electronic countermeasures | Plasma stealth, Stealth aircraft, Radar-absorbent material |
Telescoped ammunition | Research and development | More compact cartridges | |
Lightweight Small Arms Technologies | Research and development |
Space
Emerging technology | Status | Potential applications | Related articles |
---|---|---|---|
Artificial gravity | Research and development | Space travel | Spin gravity |
Asteroid mining | Conceptual; NASA has announced plans to capture and redirect an asteroid<ref>"New Imagery of Asteroid Mission". NASA. 13 August 2013. Archived from the original on 12 November 2013. Retrieved 12 November 2013.</ref> | Commerce, resource supply | |
Inflatable space habitat | Development, prototypes built and tested | Space habitats | Bigelow Aerospace |
Reusable launch vehicle | Commercial | Circumvention of the cost of expendable launch vehicles outside of national government or military missions | Reusable launch vehicle |
Starshot | Research | Uncrewed interstellar probes<ref>"Breakthrough Initiatives". breakthroughinitiatives.org. Archived from the original on 22 May 2019. Retrieved 29 August 2020.</ref> | |
Stasis chamber | Research and development, experiments<ref>"Spaceworks may have a real-world stasis chamber for space travel by 2018". Digital Trends. 29 January 2017. Archived from the original on 2 February 2017. Retrieved 1 February 2017.</ref> | Interplanetary space travel, interstellar space travel, medical |
Robotics
Emerging technology | Status | Potential applications | Related articles |
---|---|---|---|
Android, gynoid | Research, development, prototypes, diffusion, commercializing<ref>"SoftBank robot to reach US in less than a year". TechnologyTell. Archived from the original on 14 October 2014. Retrieved 9 October 2014.</ref> | Disabled, infant and older people care, housekeeping, sex-worker, flight-attendant, model, hostess, waiter, security guard | Tesla bot |
Gastrobot | Prototypes | Robots fuelled by digesting organic matter | |
Molecular nanotechnology, nanorobotics | Hypothetical, experiments<ref>"Tiny motors may be big in surgery". BBC News. 20 January 2009. Archived from the original on 4 October 2020. Retrieved 21 April 2011.</ref> | Machines that can make anything given the materials, cheap planetary terraforming | Rotimatic |
Powered exoskeleton | Research, development, prototypes, diffusion, commercializing<ref>Christopher Mims (2009). "Exoskeletons Give New Life to Legs". Scientific American. Archived from the original on 4 October 2020. Retrieved 21 April 2009.</ref> | Heavy lifting, paralysis, muscle-related diseases, warfare, construction, firefighting, care for the elderly and disabled | LOPES (exoskeleton), ReWalk, Human Universal Load Carrier, fictional armor Iron Man's armor, Future Force Warrior |
Self-reconfiguring modular robot | Hypothetical, experiments, early prototypes | As a universal physical machine, SRCMR may change the way many physical structures and machines are made | Robot, swarm robotics, autonomous research robot |
Swarm robotics | Hypothetical, experiments<ref>"Riders on a swarm". The Economist. 12 August 2010. Archived from the original on 25 March 2011. Retrieved 21 April 2011.</ref> | Autonomous construction, space construction | Swarm intelligence, autonomous robotics, nanorobotics, particle swarm optimization, multi-agent systems, behavior-based robotics |
Uncrewed vehicle | Research and development, diffusion, commercial | Transport of goods, surveillance, oceanography, wildfire mapping, pipeline security, home security, anti-piracy, border control, pursuing criminals, oil, gas and mineral exploration and production, geophysical and geomagnetic surveys, exploration of hazardous areas, firefighting,<ref>Sharon Gaudin (2 April 2014). "U.S. Navy to test humanoid robotic firefighters". Computerworld. Archived from the original on 20 October 2014. Retrieved 20 October 2014.</ref> military and peacekeeping operations, search and rescue, bomb disposal, police raids | Unmanned aerial vehicle, AeroVironment, AeroVironment Global Observer, AeroVironment Nano Hummingbird, Unmanned combat air vehicle, Unmanned ground vehicle, Unmanned space vehicle, Unmanned surface vehicle, Unmanned underwater vehicle, Autonomous underwater vehicle |
Transport
Emerging technology | Status | Potential applications | Related articles |
---|---|---|---|
Airless tire | Research, development, early prototypes<ref>"Airless Tire Promises Grace Under Pressure for Soldiers". Scientific American. 11 August 2008. Archived from the original on 29 April 2011. Retrieved 6 December 2011.</ref><ref>"New tire models to go without air or oil". The Daily Yomiuri. 6 December 2011. Archived from the original on 5 December 2011. Retrieved 6 December 2011.</ref> | Safer tires | Tweel |
Atmospheric satellite | Experimentation | More widespread communications | |
Autonomous Rail Rapid Transit | Commercialization, diffusion | Reducing air pollution, decreasing oil consumption | Electric vehicle |
Flexible wings (X-53 Active Aeroelastic Wing, Adaptive Compliant Wing), fluidic flight controls | Experiments, prototypes<ref>Scott, William B. (27 November 2006), "Morphing Wings", Aviation Week & Space Technology, archived from the original on 26 April 2011, retrieved 26 April 2011</ref><ref>"FlexSys Inc.: Aerospace". Archived from the original on 16 June 2011. Retrieved 26 April 2011.</ref><ref>Kota, Sridhar; Osborn, Russell; Ervin, Gregory; Maric, Dragan; Flick, Peter; Paul, Donald. "Mission Adaptive Compliant Wing – Design, Fabrication and Flight Test" (PDF). Ann Arbor, MI; Dayton, OH, U.S.A.: FlexSys Inc., Air Force Research Laboratory. Archived from the original (PDF) on 22 March 2012. Retrieved 26 April 2011.</ref><ref>"Showcase UAV Demonstrates Flapless Flight". BAE Systems. 2010. Archived from the original on 7 July 2011. Retrieved 22 December 2010.</ref><ref>"Demon UAV jets into history by flying without flaps". Metro. London. Associated Press. 28 September 2010. Archived from the original on 23 August 2011. Retrieved 29 September 2010.</ref> | Controlling aircraft, ships | Aircraft flight control system, BAE Systems Demon, fluidics |
Distributed propulsion | Prototypes | More efficient air travel | |
Flying car | Early commercialization, prototypes<ref>"Terrafugia Transition flying car to go into production after US approval". The Australian. 1 July 2010. Retrieved 6 December 2011.</ref><ref>"Stuck in traffic? Turn your car into a plane in 30 secs". The Times of India. 2 July 2010. Archived from the original on 27 October 2012. Retrieved 6 December 2011.</ref> | More effective transportation | Terrafugia Transition, Moller M400 Skycar, Urban Aeronautics X-Hawk, AeroMobil |
Fusion rocket | Research, development<ref>"Rocket powered by nuclear fusion could send humans to Mars". 4 April 2013. Archived from the original on 2 November 2014.</ref> | Fast interplanetary travel, with limited interstellar travel applications | |
Ground-level power supply | Standardization,<ref name="TS50717">"PD CLC/TS 50717 Technical Requirements for Current Collectors for ground-level feeding system on road vehicles in operation", The British Standards Institution, 2022, archived from the original on 11 February 2022, retrieved 11 February 2022</ref><ref>Martin G. H. Gustavsson, ed. (26 March 2021), "Key Messages on Electric Roads – Executive Summary from the CollERS Project" (PDF), CollERS, p. 6, retrieved 11 February 2022</ref> commercialization<ref>PIARC (17 February 2021), Electric Road Systems – PIARC Online Discussion, 34 minutes 34 seconds, archived from the original on 22 December 2021</ref><ref>Jean-Philippe Pastre (30 June 2023), "L'APS d'Alstom bientôt testé sur les routes", TRM24</ref> | Reduction of required battery size and weight for battery electric vehicles by charging while driving | |
Hoverbike | Working prototypes, early commercialization | Package delivery, search and rescue | |
Hovertrain, Ground effect train, Ground effect vehicle | Research, development<ref>"Flying train unveiled by Japanese scientists". CNN. 13 May 2011. Archived from the original on 9 January 2012. Retrieved 7 December 2011.</ref><ref>"Robot plane-train uses ground-effect principle to levitate". Wired. 12 May 2011. Archived from the original on 21 November 2011. Retrieved 7 December 2011.</ref> | Faster trains | Aérotrain, Duke Hospital PRT, Hovercraft |
Hybrid airship | Prototypes | Air travel with low fuel consumption | Airlander 10 |
Ion-propelled aircraft | Research, development, prototypes<ref>Masuyama, K.; Barrett, S. R. H. (2013). "On the performance of electrohydrodynamic propulsion". Proceedings of the Royal Society A: Mathematical, Physical and Engineering Sciences. 469 (2154): 20120623. Bibcode:2013RSPSA.46920623M. doi:10.1098/rspa.2012.0623.</ref><ref>"Electrohydrodynamic effect offers promise for efficient propulsion in air". Archived from the original on 18 September 2015.</ref> | Better flying transportation, efficient propulsion in air | Electrohydrodynamics |
Jet pack or backpack helicopter | Early commercialization, prototypes<ref>"Flying into the future: New Zealand company to make personal jet packs". The Telegraph. 24 February 2010. Archived from the original on 29 November 2011. Retrieved 6 December 2011.</ref> | More effective individual transportation | |
Maglev train | Research, early commercialization, diffusion<ref>"China scientists claim 1,200 km/h train". CNN. 1 February 2011. Archived from the original on 26 November 2011. Retrieved 7 December 2011.</ref><ref>"Laboratory working on train to run at 1,000 km/h". Shanghai Daily. 3 August 2010. Archived from the original on 17 January 2012. Retrieved 7 December 2011.</ref> | Faster trains | Transrapid, Shanghai Maglev Train, Linimo |
Magnetic levitation | Research, development, Commercialization (Maglev Train) | High temperature superconductivity, cryogenics, low temperature refrigerators, superconducting magnet design and construction, fiber reinforced plastics for vehicles and structural concretes, communication and high power solid-state controls, vehicle design (aerodynamics and noise mitigation), precision manufacturing, construction and fabrication of concrete structures,<ref>"The Potential for Maglev Applications". about.com. Archived from the original on 10 July 2012.</ref> maglev car, maglev based spacecraft launch | Vactrain, Levicar |
Magnetohydrodynamic drive | Research, development, prototypes<ref>"The US military revives an idea for stealthy sea power". BBC News. 13 July 2023. Retrieved 9 November 2023.</ref> | Marine Propulsion, Aircraft Propulsion, Spacecraft Propulsion | Yamato 1 |
Mass driver | Prototypes | ||
Orbital propellant depot | Research, development | Deep-space missions with larger payloads, satellite life extension, lowering cost per kg launched to space | |
Personal rapid transit | Early commercialization, diffusion<ref>"Pod Cars Start to Gain Traction in Some Cities". The New York Times. 20 September 2010. Archived from the original on 12 May 2013. Retrieved 7 December 2011.</ref><ref>"Are driverless pods the future?". BBC News. 18 December 2007. Archived from the original on 17 February 2009. Retrieved 7 December 2011.</ref> | More effective transportation | Morgantown PRT, ULTra |
Physical Internet | Research<ref>Physical Internet would increase profits, reduce carbon emissions, study finds Archived 27 January 2013 at the Wayback Machine. Phys.org. Retrieved on 21 July 2013.</ref> | ||
Scooter-sharing system | Commercialization | Increased density<ref name="Have A Go 2018">"The Disgraceful Dockless Drama: What Dockless Bikes/Scooters Are Exposing". Have A Go. 18 April 2018. Archived from the original on 29 May 2018. Retrieved 4 June 2018.</ref> | Bird (company) |
Vactrain | Research, development<ref>"How vactrains work". The Seattle Times. 16 August 2010. Archived from the original on 22 September 2010. Retrieved 7 December 2011.</ref> | Faster way to get somewhere | ET3 Global Alliance, Hyperloop |
Plasma propulsion | Research and development | Spacecraft propulsion | |
Pulse detonation engine | Research and development; one prototype flown in 2008<ref>Norris, G., "Pulse Power: Pulse Detonation Engine-powered Flight Demonstration Marks Milestone in Mojave," Aviation Week & Space Technology, Vol. 168, No. 7, 2008, pp. 60.</ref> | Higher-efficiency propulsion | |
Quiet Supersonic Technology | Prototype | Supersonic air travel over land | |
Self-driving car | Research, development, early commercialization | Reducing concerns of tiredness while driving and also looking outside in the car. Helpful in countries where employment of personal drivers is expensive. | Waymo, Tesla FSD |
Space elevator | Research<ref>"Robot passes test in space elevator contest". The Washington Post. 5 November 2009. Archived from the original on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 19 November 2011.</ref> | Non-rocket spacelaunch | Orbital ring, Sky hook, Space fountain |
Spaceplane | Research, development<ref>"Plans to develop space-plane are go". The Australian. 20 October 2008. Retrieved 7 December 2011.</ref><ref>"UK Skylon spaceplane passes key review". BBC News. 24 May 2011. Archived from the original on 20 January 2012. Retrieved 7 December 2011.</ref><ref>"Air Force says it's extending mission of mysterious X-37B". Los Angeles Times. 29 November 2011. Archived from the original on 9 December 2011. Retrieved 7 December 2011.</ref> | Hypersonic transport | A2, Skylon |
Vehicular communication systems | Research and development, some diffusion | Traffic management, automatic accommodation of emergency vehicles, driver assistance systems, automated highways | Artificial Passenger, Dedicated short-range communications, Intelligent transportation system |
See also
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References
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Further reading
- Ten Breakthrough Technologies in 2015, MIT Technology Review
- Ten Breakthrough Technologies in 2016, MIT Technology Review
- Ten Breakthrough Technologies in 2017, MIT Technology Review
- Ten Breakthrough Technologies in 2018, MIT Technology Review
- Ten Breakthrough Technologies in 2019, MIT Technology Review
- Ten Breakthrough Technologies in 2020, MIT Technology Review