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. 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. | None |
| 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) |