A peep in to the Key A peep in to the Key Technologies of the futureTechnologies of the future

By Technology Information, Forecasting & Assessment Council -TIFACReference: Internet

Compiled by Dr. Seema Shah

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What is a Key technology of What is a Key technology of the future in the next the future in the next decade?decade?

It helps to improve quality of life of citizensContributes to wealth creationRelevant in terms of making India a global

leader Has a potential to impact other technologies

Study by Technology Information, Forecasting & Assessment Council (TIFAC) an S&T think-tank

Key Future Technology: 3-D Printing

Process of making 3D solid objects from a digital model and is achieved using additive processes, where an object is created by laying down successive layers of material.

It can reduce the material wastage and create complex objects.

Bio-printing of organs and food may revolutionize Healthcare and Food sectors

Key Future Technology: Advanced Oil & Gas Exploration

Exploration and recovery techniques that make extraction of unconventional oil and gas economical. Satellite ImageryAirborne ExplorationSeismic Survey

Key Future Technology: Advanced Robotics

Increasingly capable robots with enhanced sensors, dexterity and intelligence used to automate tasks or augment human capacities

Swarm robotics, nanobots, telerobotics etc.

Robots are going to be the new revolutionary must have in a few decades.

They can do more than the average human being in many different ways.

Key Future Technology: Alternate fuelsAlternative fuels are non-conventional or advanced fuels, are any materials or substances that can be used as fuels, other than conventional fuels.

Examples: biodiesel, bioalcohol (methanol, ethanol, butanol), chemically stored electricity (batteries and fuel cells), hydrogen, non-fossil methane, non-fossil natural gas, vegetable oil, and other biomass sources.

Key Future Technology : Artificial Intelligence (AI)The capability of a machine to imitate intelligent human behaviour, such as visual perception, speech recognition, decision making, translation and other tasks.

AI has been used in a wide range of fields including medical diagnosis, stock trading, robot control, law, remote sensing, scientific discovery and toys.

Key Future Technology : Autonomous VehiclesDriven by on-board computer using sensor feedback and automatic controls, these vehicles that can navigate and operate without human intervention.

Deployable for hazardous and repetitive tasks will find extensive application in military, space, disaster management and other civilian applications

Key Future Technology:Big data analyticsProcess of examining big data to decipher hidden patterns/trends, unknown correlations and other useful information for better decision making.

With big data analytics, one can analyze huge volumes of data that conventional analytics can't touch.

Key Future Technology:Brain Computer Interface (BCI) or Mind-Machine Interface (MMI)

It is sometimes called a direct neural interface (DNI), synthetic telepathy interface (STI) or a brain–machine interface (BMI) - a direct communication pathway between the brain and an external device for assisting, augmenting, or repairing human cognitive or sensory-motor functions.

Key Future Technology: Cloud TechnologyUse of Computer hardware and software resources delivered over a network or the internet, often as a service with minimal or no local software or processing power. This technology allows for much more efficient computing by centralizing data storage, processing and bandwidth.

Key Future Technology: Digital Holography and 3D Imaging

Applications of digital holographic, and three-dimensional imaging and display methods e.g. Computer Generated Holograms, Compressive Holography, Quantitative Phase Imaging, Holographic Lithography, Digital Holographic Microscopy etc.

Key Future Technology : Energy Storage technologies

Includes batteries, flywheels, flow batteries (Zinc bromide & Vanadium Redox), metal-air batteries electrochemical capacitors, Magnetic (superconducting magnetic energy storage (SMES)), Thermal (Molten Salt), power electronics, and control systems. Technologies that enable long-term and efficient storage of energy.

Key Future Technology : Enernet

A smart grid that is similar to Internet that supports uploading, downloading and storage of energy rather than bits.

Key Future Technology: Gamification

Gamification is the use of game thinking and game mechanics in non-game contexts to engage users in solving problems.

Key Future Technology :Immersive Virtual Reality

It consists of immersion in an artificial environment where the user feels just as immersed as they usually feel in consensus reality

e.g. Panoramic 3D displays (visual), Surround sound acoustics (auditory), Haptics and force feedback (tactile), Smell replication (olfactory), Taste replication (gustation) etc.

Key Future Technology: Internet of ThingsNetworks of sensors and actuators for data collection, monitoring, decision making and process optimization

Key Future Technology: Lab-on-ChipLab-on-a-Chip (LOC) device, also known as a micro-total-analytical system (microTAS) is a device that can integrate miniaturized laboratory functions (such as separation and analysis of components of a mixture) on a single microprocessor chip

Key Future Technology : ComputingQuantum computers take advantage of certain quantum physics properties of atoms or nuclei that allow them to work together as quantum bits, or qubits to be the computer's processor and memory.

Key Future Technology:Real time translation

Highly intelligent and interactive system that will allow seamless translation of languages autonomously with reasonable time delay.

Key Future Technology :Semantic WebSemantic web is an extension of the current Web that enables machines to search, aggregate, share, re-use, and combining of the information without a human intervention.

Key Future Technology: Telmedicine

Telemedicine is the use of medical information exchanged from one site to another via electronic communications to improve a patient’s clinical health status. Telemedicine includes a growing variety of applications and services using two-way video, email, smart phones, wireless tools and other forms of telecommunications technology.

Key Future Technology: Wearable devicesWearable technology, wearable devices, tech togs, or fashion electronics are clothing and accessories incorporating computer and advanced electronic technologies. The designs often incorporate practical functions and features, but may also have a purely critical or aesthetics