Emerging technologies are those technical innovations that represent progressive innovations within a field for competitive advantage.[1] The criteria for this list is that the technology must:
Emerging technology | Status | Potential applications | Related articles |
---|---|---|---|
Agricultural robotics[2] | Research and development, trial projects | Agricultural drone | |
Closed ecological systems[3][4][5] | Research and development, working demonstrators (e.g. Biosphere 2) | Agriculture, scientific research, space colonization | Greenhouse, Biosphere 2, Eden Project, Bioshelter, Seawater greenhouse, Perpetual harvest greenhouse system |
Cultured meat | Research and development[6][7] | Humane, resource-efficient, healthier and cheaper meat[7] | New Harvest |
Vertical farming | Research, development, experiments, and diffusion[8][9][10] | Crop and meat production |
Emerging technology | Status | Potential applications | Related articles |
---|---|---|---|
Plasma propulsion | Research and development | Spacecraft propulsion | |
Pulse detonation engine | Most instantiations are still in research and development. At least one prototype has been flown as of 2008.[11] | Propulsion |
Emerging technology | Status | Potential applications | Related articles |
---|---|---|---|
Arcology | Research, development, commercialization | ||
Four-dimensional printing | Research and development | ||
Domed city | In progress in Dubai Mall of the World project that is being scaled down | Weather-controlled city, colonization of other bodies |
Emerging technology | Status | Potential applications | Related articles |
---|---|---|---|
Distributed ledger | Early uses | Blockchain[12] is an example of a distributed ledger. Eliminating or lowering transaction costs; distributed, open and transparent record keeping; non-hierarchical networked systems; cryptography[13] | Bitcoin, Digital currency, Cryptocurrency, e-democracy |
Digital currency | Prototypes, early uses | cryptocurrency (Bitcoin), virtual currency, central bank digital currency, Facebook's Diem | |
Decentralized finance | Early uses | Eliminates need for central exchange. |
Emerging technology | Status | Potential applications | Related articles |
---|---|---|---|
Aerogel | Hypothetical, experiments, diffusion, early uses[14] | Improved insulation, insulative glass if it can be made clear, sleeves for oil pipelines, aerospace, high-heat & extreme cold applications | |
Amorphous metal | Experiments, Specialty use | Armor, however it is widely used (in thin ribbons) in the production of transformer cores. | Amorphous metal transformer |
Bioplastic | Some products developed | Recyclable 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 | Oil and gas blowout preventers (BOP), jet engines, power turbines, locomotives, electric vehicles, gears and bearings | |
Dynamic Armor | Prototypes | Better protection for ships from shaped charge weapons | |
Fullerene | Experiments, diffusion | Programmable matter | |
Graphene | Hypothetical, experiments, diffusion, early uses[15][16] | Components with higher strength to weight ratios, transistors that operate at higher frequency, lower cost of display screens in mobile devices, storing hydrogen for fuel cell powered cars, sensors to diagnose diseases, more efficient batteries[17] | |
Lab-on-a-chip | Some commercialization | ||
High-temperature superconductivity | Cryogenic receiver front-end (CRFE) RF and microwave filter systems for mobile phone base stations; prototypes in dry ice; Hypothetical and experiments for higher temperatures[18] | No loss conductors, frictionless bearings, magnetic levitation, lossless high-capacity accumulators, electric cars, heat-free integral circuits and processors | |
Magnetic nanoparticles | In development | ||
Magnetorheological fluid | Developed and researched | Magnetorheological damper heavy motor damping, operator seat/cab damping in construction vehicles, seismic dampers positioned in building absorbing detrimental shock waves and oscillations within the structure making them earthquake-proof, enhance body armour fluid bullet resistant, Humvees, and various other all-terrain vehicles employ dynamic MR shock absorbers/dampers. Magnetorheological finishing was used in the construction of the Hubble Space Telescope's corrective lens, shock absorbers of a vehicle's suspension are filled with magnetorheological fluid. | Electrorheological fluid |
Microfluidics | |||
High-temperature superfluidity | Superfluid gyroscopes already 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[19] | Microscopes, cameras, metamaterial cloaking, cloaking devices | |
Metal foam | Research, commercialization | Space colonies, floating cities | |
Multi-function structures[20] | Hypothetical, experiments, some prototypes, few commercial | Wide range, e.g., self health monitoring, self healing material, morphing | |
Nanomaterials: carbon nanotubes | Hypothetical, experiments, diffusion, early uses[21][22] | Stronger, lighter materials, space elevator | Potential applications of carbon nanotubes, carbon fiber |
Programmable matter | Hypothetical, experiments[23][24] | Wide range, e.g., claytronics, synthetic biology | |
Quantum dots | Research, experiments, prototypes,[25] commercialized | Quantum dot laser, quantum dot display, future use as programmable matter in display technologies (TV, projection), optical data communications (high-speed data transmission), medicine (laser scalpel) | |
Silicene | Early research | ||
Superalloy | Research, diffusion | Aircraft jet engines | |
Synthetic diamond | Research, commercialization | Electronics | |
Time crystals | Research experiments[26] | Quantum computers with stable qubits | |
Translucent concrete | Commercialization | Construction of skyscrapers, towers, and sculptures like Europe Gate |
Emerging technology | Status | Potential applications | Related articles |
---|---|---|---|
3D displays, Volumetric display | Research, working prototypes, commercialization[27] | Television, computer interfaces, cinemas, 3-dimensional imagery | Autostereoscopic display, stereoscopic display, volumetric display, Holographic display, Light Field display, Nintendo 3DS , Swept-volume display |
Laser video displays | First commercial Laser TV in 2008, Mitsubishi LaserVue TV | Displays with very wide colour gamut | Laser TV, Comparison of display technology |
Holography (holographic display, computer-generated holography) | Diffusion[28][29][30][31] | ||
Optical transistor | Some prototypes | ||
Screenless display (Virtual retinal display, Bionic contact lens, Augmented reality, virtual reality) | Hypothetical, experiments | Augmented reality could allow the user to reference the blue prints like in a construction yard, in a 3D manner; Delivers the user constant up to date information on the stock market, the user's corporation, and meeting statuses, visual disabilities | Head-mounted display, Head-up display, adaptive optics, EyeTap, Google Glass, Microsoft HoloLens, AR cloud[32] |
Emerging technology | Status | Potential applications | Related articles |
---|---|---|---|
Biometrics | Diffusion | ||
Digital scent technology | Diffusion | Smell-O-Vision, iSmell | |
Electronic nose | Research, commercialization[33][34] | Detecting spoiled food, chemical weapons and cancer | |
E-textiles | Research, diffusion[35] | ||
Flexible electronics | Commercialization, research, development, some prototypes | Flexible and folding electronic devices (such as smartphones), Flexible solar cells which are lightweight, can be rolled up for launch, and are easily deployable | Nokia Morph, Flexible organic light-emitting diode |
Memristor | Working prototype[36][37] | Smaller, faster, lower power consuming storage, analogue electronics, programmable logic,[38] signal processing,[39] neural networks,[40] control systems,[41] reconfigurable computing,[42] brain–computer interfaces[43] and RFID,[44] pattern recognition[45] | |
Molecular electronics | Research and development | ||
Nanoelectromechanical systems | Research and development | ||
Solid-state transformer | In development, some prototypes | ||
Spintronics | Working prototypes[46] | Data storage, computing devices | MRAM |
Thermal copper pillar bump | Working prototypes in discrete devices | Electric circuit cooling; micro-fluidic actuators; small-device thermoelectric power generation | Ultra high definition holographic disc, Metal–insulator transition |
Three-dimensional integrated circuit | In development, commercialised | Memory and data processing | |
Twistronics | In development |
Emerging technology | Status | Potential applications | Related articles |
---|---|---|---|
Airborne wind turbine | Research[47][48][49] | Producing electricity | KiteGen |
Americium battery | Estimated of working battery in 5–10 years from 2019.[50] | ||
Artificial photosynthesis | Research, experiments,[51] growing interest in a macroscience global project[52] | Improve natural photosynthesis, so roads buildings and vehicles convert sunlight and water into hydrogen and carbon dioxide into carbohydrates | Sustainocene, Renewable energy, Nanotechnology |
Concentrated solar power | Growing markets in California, Spain, Northern Africa[53] | Producing electricity | DESERTEC, BrightSource Energy, Solar Millennium |
Cryogenic treatment | Subsea and deep water oil and gas exploration; wind and fossil fuel electric power generation, nuclear power | Oil and gas blowout preventers (BOP), jet engines, power turbines, locomotives, electric vehicles, gears and bearings | |
Electric double-layer capacitor | Diffusion, continued development[54] | Regenerative braking; energy storage: generally faster charging, longer lasting, more flexible, greener | |
Energy harvesting | Experiments | Constant energy source for mobile, wearable and ubiquitous devices | Humavox |
Flywheel energy storage | Some commercial examples | ||
Fusion power | Research, experiments | Producing electricity, heat, 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 | Producing electricity, heat, transmutation of nuclear waste stockpiles from traditional reactors | |
Gravity battery | Small-scale examples | ||
Home fuel cell | Research, commercialisation[55][56][57] | 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[58] | Laptops, mobile phones, long-range electric cars; storing energy for electric grid | |
Lithium iron phosphate battery | Commercialization | ||
Lithium–sulfur battery | Research and development | ||
Magnesium battery | Early commercialization | ||
Magnonics | Research | Data storage | |
Molten salt reactor | Research, experiments | Producing electricity, heat | |
Nanowire battery | Experiments, prototypes[59][60] | Laptops, mobile phones, long-range electric cars; storing energy for electric grid | |
Nantenna | Research[61][62][63] | Producing electricity | |
Ocean thermal energy conversion | Prototype | ||
Solid-state battery | Niche uses | Hybrid cars | |
Smart grid | Research, diffusion[64][65][66] | Smart meter, SuperSmart Grid | |
Space-based solar power | Early research | ||
Thorium nuclear fuel cycle | Research started in the 1960s, still ongoing | Producing electricity, heat | |
Vortex engine | Power generation | ||
Wireless energy transfer | Prototypes, diffusion, short range consumer products[67][68] | Wirelessly powered equipment: laptop, cell phones, electric cars, etc. | WiTricity, resonant inductive coupling |
Zero-energy building | Expansion | All homes | Passive house |
Emerging technology | Status | Potential applications | Related articles |
---|---|---|---|
Computer-generated imagery | Developing | Films, photos | Deepfake, StyleGAN, DeepDream |
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) |
Emerging technology | Status | Potential applications | Related articles |
---|---|---|---|
6G cellular communications[69] | Conceptual | Mobile phones | |
Ambient intelligence | Hypothetical | ||
Artificial brain | Research[70] | Treatment of neurological disease, artificial intelligence | Blue Brain Project, Human Brain Project |
Artificial general intelligence | Hypothetical, experiments[71][72][73] | 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 |
Augmented reality | Diffusion | Google Glass, Windows Mixed Reality, Microsoft HoloLens, Mixed reality, Smartglasses, Pokémon Go | |
Carbon nanotube field-effect transistor | Research and development | Extending Moore's law | |
Civic technology | Research and development, projects | Smart cities, more responsive government | Civic technology, Smart city, e-democracy, open data, intelligent environment |
DNA digital data storage | Experiments | Mass data storage | |
Exascale computing | Projects | ||
Emerging memory technologies | In development | T-RAM, memristor, Z-RAM, TTRAM, CBRAM, SONOS, RRAM, Racetrack memory, NRAM, Phase-change memory, FJG RAM, Millipede memory, Skyrmion, Programmable metallization cell, 3D XPoint, Ferroelectric RAM, Magnetoresistive random-access memory, nvSRAM | |
Emerging magnetic data storage technologies | In development (HAMR, BPM); diffusion (SMR) | Greatly improved storage density compared to current HDDs, can be combined | SMR, HAMR, BPM, MAMR, TDMR, CPP/GMR, PMR, Hard disk drive |
Fourth-generation optical discs (3D optical data storage, Holographic data storage) | Research, prototyping[74] | Storing and archiving data previously erased for economic reasons | Blu-ray Disc, Optical storage |
General-purpose computing on graphics processing units | Diffusion of non standardized methods | Order of magnitude faster processing of parallelizable algorithms | |
Exocortex | Diffusion of primitive amplifications; working prototypes of more; Hypothetical, experiments on more substantial amplification | ||
Li-Fi | Demos, requires standardization | ||
Machine vision | Research, prototyping, commercialization[70] | 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 |
Mobile collaboration and e-learning | Development, commercialization[75] | Extends the capabilities of video conferencing for use on hand-held mobile devices in real-time over secure networks. For use in diverse industries such as manufacturing, energy, healthcare.[76] Telework | |
Multimodal contactless biometric face/iris systems | Deployed at various airports and federal security checkpoints[77] | Unimodal facial recognition scanners | |
Nanoradio | Research & Development, diffusion | ||
Neuromorphic engineering | Research & development | ||
Optical computing | Hypothetical, experiments; some components of integrated circuits have been developed[78] | Smaller, faster, lower power consuming computing | |
Quantum computing | Experiments,[79] commercialization[80] | 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[81] | Secure communications | |
Quantum radar | Prototypes | ||
Radio-frequency identification | Diffusion of high cost[82][83][84] | Smartstores – RFID based self checkout (keeping track of all incoming and outgoing products), food packaging, smart shelves, smart carts. See: potential uses | |
Semantic Web or answer machine | Research, limited use | Making the web machine-readable by annotating data on the web based on its meaning | Corporate Semantic Web, Semantic Web Services, Semantic Web Stack, Web 3.0 |
Software-defined radio | Development, commercialization | Cognitive radio, Mesh networks, Software defined antenna | GNU Radio, List of software-defined radios, Universal Software Radio Peripheral |
Speech recognition | Research, development, commercialization | ||
Subvocal recognition | Research, development, commercialization | ||
Virtual Reality | Diffusion | Entertainment, education | Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, PlayStation VR |
Hybrid forensics[85] | Research, commercialization | digital forensics, electronic discovery, malware detection, IT compliance |
Emerging technology | Status | Potential applications | Related articles |
---|---|---|---|
Artificial uterus | Hypothetical, research | space travel, extracorporeal pregnancy, Reprogenetics, same-sex procreation | |
Body implants, 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 |
Human DNA vaccination RNA vaccinations | Implementation in 2021 to combat the COVID-19 pandemic | Disease vaccinations , cancer therapy | COVID-19 Pandemic |
Enzybiotics | Successful first trials | ||
Genetic engineering of organisms and viruses | Research, development, commercialization[86][87] | Creating and modifying species (mainly improving their physical and mental capabilities), bio-machines, eliminating genetic disorders (gene therapy), new materials production,[88] healthier and cheaper food, creating drugs and vaccines, research in natural sciences, bioremediation,[89] detecting arsenic,[90] CO2 reducing superplant,[91] | Biopunk, Genetically modified food, superhuman, human enhancement, transhumanism, gene doping, designer baby, genetic pollution |
Hibernation or suspended animation | Research, development, animal trials[92] | Organ transplantation, space travel, prolonged surgery, emergency care | |
Life extension, strategies for engineered negligible senescence | Research, experiments, animal testing[93][94] | Increased life spans | Immortality, biological immortality |
Nanomedicine | Research, experiments, limited use[95][96] | ||
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[97] | Personalized medical procedures, genome sequencing during drug trials | Personal genomics |
Phage therapy | First trial uses | ||
Plantibody | Clinical trials | ||
Regenerative medicine | Some laboratory trials[98] | Life extension | |
Robotic surgery | Research, diffusion[99][100][101] | ||
Senolytic | Under investigation | ||
Stem cell treatments | Research, experiments, phase I human trial spinal cord injury treatment (GERON), cultured cornea transplants[102][103] | Treatment for a wide range of diseases and injuries | Stem cell, stem cell treatments, Skin cell gun, |
Synthetic biology, synthetic genomics | Research, development, first synthetic bacteria created May 2010[104][105] | Creating infinitely scalable production processes based on programmable species of bacteria and other life forms | BioBrick, iGEM, synthetic genomics |
Tissue engineering | Research, diffusion[106][107][108][109] | 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 | Hypothetical, some experiments[110] | Organ transplantation, cryonics |
Emerging technology | Status | Potential applications | Related articles |
---|---|---|---|
Brain–computer interface | Research and commercialization | Faster communication and learning and "more real" entertainment (generation of feelings and information in brain on-demand). Control emotions in the mentally ill[111] | Experience machine, Neuralink, Stent-electrode recording array |
Brain-reading, Neuroinformatics | Research[112][113] | ||
Electroencephalography | Research, diffusion[114] | Controlling electronic devices via brain waves | BrainGate |
Head transplant | Success in animal experiments, including 2-headed result | Treat debilitating disease or horrible disfigurement | Brain transplant, hand transplantation, organ transplantation |
Neuroprosthetics | Visual prosthesis, brain implant, exocortex, retinal implant, neurograin[115] |
Emerging technology | Status | Potential applications | Related articles |
---|---|---|---|
Caseless ammunition | Field tests and some niche markets | Warfare | Lightweight Small Arms Technologies |
Cloaking device | Successful experiments cloaking small objects under some conditions[116] | Cloaking microscope tips at optical frequencies | Metamaterial cloaking |
Directed energy weapon | Research, development, some prototypes[117] | Warfare | Laser Weapon System |
Electrolaser | Research and development | ||
Electromagnetic weapons | Research and development[118][119] | Warfare | Coilgun, Railgun |
Electrothermal-chemical technology | Research and development | Tank, artillery, and close-in weapon systems | |
Force field | Hypothetical, experiments[120] | Military and law enforcement, space travel | Plasma window |
Green bullet | Development | Environment-friendly ammunition | |
Hypersonic cruise missile | In development | Glide vehicles and cruise missiles that can go 5 times the speed of sound or more. | 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.[121] | Advanced Tactical Laser, High Energy Liquid Laser Area Defense System |
MAHEM | Research, In development | An alternative formed penetrator that could replace self-forging explosives with molten metal to penetrate enemy armor. | Explosively pumped flux compression generator |
Precision-guided firearm | Research and development | Warfare | EXACTO, Smart bullet |
Sonic weapon | Research, Development, Commercialization | A weapon that can be used to either disorient, incapacitate, or kill an adversary through sound, infrasound, or ultrasound. | Long Range Acoustic Device |
Stealth technology | Research and development | Electronic countermeasures | Plasma stealth, Stealth aircraft, Radar-absorbent material |
Telescoped ammunition | Research and development | A type of ammunition that envelopes a bullet with powder charge and encases it in a cartridge. | |
Lightweight Small Arms Technologies Program | Research and development | Warfare | lethal autonomous weapon |
Emerging technology | Status | Potential applications | Related articles |
---|---|---|---|
Artificial gravity | Research and development | Space Travel | Spin gravity |
Asteroid mining | Hypothetical, NASA has announced plans to capture and redirect an asteroid.[122] | Commerce, resource supply | |
Starshot | Research | Uncrewed interstellar probes[123] | |
Stasis Chamber | Experimental, Research and development[124] | Interplanetary space travel, interstellar space travel, medical | |
Inflatable space habitat | Developed, prototypes built and tested | Space habitats | Bigelow Aerospace |
Reusable launch system | Several companies, including Blue Origin and SpaceX, are developing the technologies. | Expendable launch vehicles may become cost prohibitive except for national government or military missions. | New Glenn, SpaceX Starship |
Emerging technology | Status | Potential applications | Related articles |
---|---|---|---|
Android, gynoid | Research, development, prototypes, diffusion, commercializing[125] | Disabled, infant and older people care, housekeeping, sex-worker, flight-attendant, model, hostess, waiter, security guard | |
Gastrobot | Some prototypes | ||
Molecular nanotechnology, nanorobotics | Hypothetical, experiments[126] | Machines (desktop, industrial) that can make anything given the materials (e.g. Rotimatic), cheap planetary terraforming | |
Powered exoskeleton | Research, development, prototypes, diffusion, commercializing[127] | 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 we make many physical structures and machines | Robot, swarm robotics, autonomous research robot |
Swarm robotics | Hypothetical, experiments[128] | Autonomous construction, space construction | Swarm intelligence, autonomous robotics, nanorobotics, particle swarm optimization, multi-agent systems, behavior-based robotics |
Unmanned vehicle | Research and development, diffusion, commercial | Transport of goods (e.g. food), mass surveillance, eavesdropping, oceanography, commercial aerial livestock monitoring, wildfire mapping, pipeline security, home security, road patrol and anti-piracy, patrol the nation's borders, scout property, and hunt down fugitives, oil, gas and mineral exploration and production, geophysical surveys, geomagnetic surveys, scientific research in areas too dangerous for pilots like a hurricane tornado hunter, firefighting,[129] military operations and peacekeeping operations, search and rescue, explosives and bomb disposal, gatekeeper and checkpoint operations, urban street presence, police raids in urban settings. | 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 |
Emerging technology | Status | Potential applications | Related articles |
---|---|---|---|
Airless tire | Research, development, early prototypes[130][131] | Safer tires | Tweel |
Autonomous Rail Rapid Transit | Commercialization, diffusion | Reducing air pollution, decreasing oil consumption | Electric vehicle |
Electro hydrodynamic propulsion | Research, development, prototypes[132][133] | Better flying transportation, efficient propulsion in air | Electrohydrodynamics |
Flexible wings (X-53 Active Aeroelastic Wing, Adaptive Compliant Wing), fluidic flight controls | Experiments, prototypes[134][135][136][137][138] | Controlling aircraft, ships | Aircraft flight control system, BAE Systems Demon, fluidics |
Flying car | Early commercialization, prototypes[139][140] | More effective transportation | Terrafugia Transition, Moller M400 Skycar, Urban Aeronautics X-Hawk, AeroMobil |
Fusion rocket | Research, development[141] | Fast interplanetary travel, with limited Interstellar applications | |
Hoverbike | Working prototypes, early commercialization | Package delivery, search and rescue | |
Hovertrain, Ground effect train | Research, development[142][143] | Trains with higher speed | Aérotrain, Duke Hospital PRT, Hovercraft |
High Altitude Platforms | Experimentation | Communications | |
Jet pack or backpack helicopter | Early commercialization, prototypes[144] | More effective transportation | |
Maglev train, Vactrain | Research, early commercialization[145][146][147] | Trains with higher speed | 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,[148] maglev car, maglev based spacecraft launch | Vactrain, Levicar |
Mass driver | Prototypes | ||
Personal rapid transit | Early commercialization, diffusion[149][150] | More effective transportation | Morgantown PRT, ULTra |
Photonic laser thruster | Prototypes | ||
Physical Internet | Research[151] | ||
Scooter-sharing system | Commercialization | Increased density[152] | Bird (company) |
Vactrain | Research, development | Faster way to get somewhere | ET3 Global Alliance, Hyperloop |
Propellant depot | Research, development | enabling deep-space missions with more massive payloads, satellite life extension, ultimately lowering the cost per kg launched to space | |
Pulse detonation engine | Testbed demos | Fast interplanetary travel, with some possible interstellar travel applications | |
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, development[153] | Non-rocket spacelaunch, Orbital ring, Sky hook, Space fountain | |
Spaceplane | Research, development[154][155][156] | Hypersonic transport | A2, Skylon |
Vehicular communication systems | Research and development, some diffusion | Vehicle safety obstacle inform others warnings on entering intersections, traffic management, accommodating ambulances, fire trucks, and police cars to a specific situation such as hot pursuits and bad weather, driver assistance systems, automated highways. | Artificial Passenger, Dedicated short-range communications, Intelligent transportation system |
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Ethics:
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Original source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List of emerging technologies.
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