IEEE Future Directions
IEEE Future Directions New Technology Proposal List
Through its committee and Industry Advisory Board, IEEE Future Directions has compiled and maintains a list of new technology areas for consideration. For more detailed information on the new technology proposal list, please see below. To submit new ideas, please fill out this form. For more information, contact IEEE Future Directions at ieee-fd@ieee.org.
| Technology | Description | Additional Information |
|---|---|---|
| 3D Imaging and MultiMedia | With advances in sensing, transmission, and visualization technology, 3D information has become increasingly incorporated into real-world applications—from architecture to entertainment, manufacturing, and security. | None |
| 3-D Printing | Additive manufacturing or 3D printing is a process of making a 3D solid object of virtually any shape from a digital model. | None |
| Autonomous Systems and their Societal Impact | Confusion and concerns surrounding autonomous technologies and societal impacts; self-driving cars, drones, and robots equated to job losses only fuel speculation of their negative effects. In 2017, IEEE Future Directions launched a new initiative, IEEE Symbiotic Autonomous Systems Initiative (SAS), by combining Autonomous Systems and their Societal Impact with Symbiotic Machines. | Visit the website |
| BioFuel | Alternative energy sources—solar cells, wind turbines, biofuels, etc.—are growing 30–40% per year, almost like Moore’s Law. | None |
| Carbon Sequestration | Not available. | None |
| Clean Water | Not available. | None |
| Cognitive Radio | Cognitive engine is capable of configuring radio-system parameters, include “waveform, protocol, operating frequency, and networking.” | None |
| Digital Cultural Heritage and Smart Environments | Monitor, develop, and consolidate technologies and approaches to the Digitalization of Cultural Heritage that could be used to create and augment Smart Environments. | Read more (PDF, 132 KB) |
| Environmental Engineering | Specifically for modeling, monitoring, and control of natural and artificial environments to ensure livability and a sustainable future of the environments as well as well-being of individuals and the community. | None |
| Fog Computing and Networking | Fog computing envisions many Fog systems deployed physically or logically close to the end users or where computing and intelligent networking can best meet user needs. |
Read more (PDF, 162 KB) |
| In Memory Computing | Store entire database in memory to eliminate time-consuming I/O operations. Can deliver tenfold to twentyfold increase in performance compared with traditional DBMS. | None |
| Internet of Space (IoS) | High-data-rate communications networks based on constellations of 1000’s of Low-Earth-Orbit (LEO) satellites, suborbital communications platforms – High-Altitude Long Endurance (HALE) aircraft, persistent UAVs, airships. | Read more (PDF, 102 KB) |
| Micro Fluidics | Behavior, precise control and manipulation of fluids that are geometrically constrained to a small, typically sub-millimeter, scale. Means one of following features: small volumes (µL, nL, pL, fL); small size; low energy consumption. | None |
| NanoPore DNA Sequencing | Simple and direct analysis of DNA will make genetic testing routine in more situations. | None |
| NewOS: RebootlessOS | New technology trends, such as non-volatile memory, rack-scale heterogeneous computing, and photonic interconnects, are stretching the boundaries of the OS requirements. | Read more (PDF, 178 KB) |
| Power in Mobile Systems | Consumer Internet of Things, Mobile Power and a new Future of Making group to support home fabrication and other such activities. | None |
| Reliability | As technology advances, susceptibility of systems to transient errors, such as timing violations, parameter variations, aging, and infant mortality, is steadily increasing. | None |
| Robotics Also Swarms | Design, construction, operation, and application of robots, as well as computer systems for their control, sensory feedback, and information processing. | None |
| Safety Critical Systems, Next Gen | Secure, trusted to work adequately given user behavior, system interactions, changing environment and expectations, organizational turbulence, regulatory caution, routine component and operator failure, etc. | None |
| Symbiotic Machines | No longer “extensions” of human capabilities, becoming companions working and acting in symbioses with people and environment. In 2017, IEEE Future Directions launched a new initiative, IEEE Symbiotic Autonomous Systems Initiative (SAS), by combining Autonomous Systems and their Societal Impact with Symbiotic Machines. |
Read more (PDF, 80 KB) |