This is alist of emerging technologies, which arein-development technical innovations that have significant potential in their applications. The criteria for this list is that the technology must:
Listing here is not a prediction that the technology will become widely adopted, only a recognition of significantpotential to become widely adopted or highly useful if ongoing work continues, is successful, and the work is not overtaken by other technologies.
| Emerging technology | Status | Potential applications | Related articles |
|---|---|---|---|
| Agricultural robotics[1][2] | Research and development, trial projects | Automation ofagriculture | Agricultural drone |
| Closed ecological systems | Research and development,[3][4][5] working demonstrators (e.g.Biosphere 2) | Agriculture, scientific research,space colonization | Greenhouse,Eden Project,Bioshelter,Seawater greenhouse |
| Cultured meat | Research and development, trials[6][7] | Humane, resource-efficient, healthier, and cheaper meat[7] | New Harvest |
| Atmospheric water generator[8] | Working prototype | Agriculture insemi-arid land | Desorption |
| Vertical farming | Research, development, experiments, and diffusion[9][10][11] | Space-efficient farming and space travel applications[10] |
| 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 | ||
| Domed city | Planned feature forMall of the World[12][13][14] | Weather-controlled city,colonization of other celestial bodies | |
| Earthscraper | Demonstration |
| Emerging technology | Status | Potential applications | Related articles |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cryptocurrency | Diffusion | Payment,Digital currency | Bitcoin,Ethereum |
| Digital wallet | Diffusion | Payment,Digital currency | Google pay,Apple Pay |
| CBDC | Diffusion | Payment,Digital currency | Digital Rupee,Digital Euro |
| Emerging technology | Status | Potential applications | Related articles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6G cellular communications[15][16] | Conceptual | Mobile phones | |
| Artificial general intelligence | Hypothetical, experiments[17][18][19] | Creating intelligent devices androbots; 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, commercialization | ||
| Blockchain | Diffusion, commercialization | Finance,digital currency,identity (social science),Web3.0,Smart contracts | 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[20][21] | Detectingspoiled 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 | |
| 5D optical data storage | Research, prototypes | Extremely compact, long-lasting information storage | |
| E-textiles | Research, diffusion[22] | 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 flexiblesolar 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[23] | Storing and archiving data previously erased for economic reasons | Blu-ray Disc,Optical storage |
| Li-Fi | Demos, requires standardization | Laser communication in space | |
| Machine vision | Research, prototyping, commercialization[24] | Biometrics, controlling processes (e.g., indriverless car,automated guided vehicle), detecting events (e.g., in visualsurveillance), interaction (e.g., inhuman–computer interaction), robot vision | Computer vision,pattern recognition,digital image processing |
| Magnonics | Research | Data storage | |
| Memristor | Working prototype[25][26] | Smaller, faster, more energy-efficientstorage,analogue electronics,programmable logic,[27]signal processing,[28]neural networks,[29]control systems,[30]reconfigurable computing,[31]brain–computer interfaces,[32]RFID,[33] andpattern recognition[34] | |
| Metaverse | Experiments | Virtual reality,Augmented reality | |
| Molecular electronics | Research and development | ||
| Multimodal contactless biometric face/iris systems | Deployed at various airports and federal security checkpoints[35] | 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[36] | Smaller, faster, lower power consuming computing | |
| Quantum computing | Experiments,[37] commercialization,[38] early diffusion | Much faster computing for some kinds of problems, chemical modeling, new materials with programmed properties, Hypothetical ofhigh-temperature superconductivity andsuperfluidity | |
| Quantum cryptography | Commercialization[39] | Secure communications | |
| Quantum radar | Prototypes | ||
| Radio-frequency identification | Diffusion of high cost[40][41][42] | Smartstores – RFID-basedself-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[43] | Data storage, computing devices | |
| Subvocal recognition | Research, development, commercialization | ||
| Thermal copper pillar bump | Working prototypes in discrete devices | Electric circuit cooling, micro-fluidicactuators,thermoelectric power generation | Ultra high definition holographic disc,Metal–insulator transition |
| Three-dimensional integrated circuit | Development, commercialization | Memory and data processing | |
| Twistronics | Development |
| Emerging technology | Status | Potential applications | Related articles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4D Film | Commercialization | Films | |
| Cloud gaming | Commercialization | Handheld game consoles,Mobile gaming,Real-time ray-tracing | Google Stadia,GeForce Now |
| 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 |
| Emerging technology | Status | Potential applications | Related articles |
|---|---|---|---|
| Laser video display | Limited commercialization (e.g. Mitsubishi LaserVue TV in 2008) | Displays with a very wide colourgamut | Laser TV,Comparison of display technology |
| Holography (holographic display,computer-generated holography) | Diffusion[44][45][46][47] | ||
| 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 thevisually impaired | Head-mounted display,Head-up display,Adaptive optics,EyeTap,Google Glass,Microsoft HoloLens,AR cloud[48] |
| Volumetric (3D) display | Research, working prototypes, commercialization[49] | Television,computer interfaces,cinemas, 3-dimensional imagery | Autostereoscopic display,stereoscopic display,volumetric display,Holographic display,Light Field display,Nintendo 3DS,Swept-volume display |
| Emerging technology | Status | Potential applications | Related articles |
|---|---|---|---|
| Airborne wind turbine | Research[50][51][52] | Wind power generation at higher altitudes, increasing efficiency | KiteGen |
| Americium battery | Estimated working prototype in 5–10 years from 2019[53] | Energy storage | |
| Artificial photosynthesis | Research, experiments,[54] growing interest in a macroscience global project[55] | Photosynthesis-like energy and oxygen production from artificial structures | Sustainocene,Renewable energy,Nanotechnology |
| Concentrated solar power | Growing markets in California, Spain, Northern Africa[56] | Electricity generation | DESERTEC,BrightSource Energy,Solar Millennium |
| Double-layer capacitor | Diffusion, continued development[57] | Faster-charging, longer-lasting, more flexible, greener energy storage (e.g. forregenerative 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[58][59][60] | 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[61] | Laptops, mobile phones, long-rangeelectric cars; storing energy forelectric 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[62][63] | Laptops, mobile phones, long-rangeelectric cars; storing energy forelectric grid | |
| Nantenna | Research[64][65][66] | Electricity generation | |
| Ocean thermal energy conversion | Prototype | Electricity generation | |
| Solid-state battery | Niche uses | Reliable, power-dense energy storage (particularly for electric cars andwearable technology) | |
| Smart grid | Research, diffusion[67][68][69] | Advancedgrid 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[70][71] | Wirelessly powered equipment: laptop, cell phones, electric cars, etc. | WiTricity,resonant inductive coupling |
| Zero-energy building | Expansion | Energy-efficient homes | Passive house |
| Emerging technology | Status | Potential applications | Related articles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4D printing | Research and development | ||
| Aerogel | Hypothetical, experiments, diffusion, early uses[72] | Improvedthermal insulation (forpipelines,aerospace, etc.), as well as insulative "glass" if it can be made clear | |
| Amorphous metal | Experiments, use inamorphous metal transformers | Armor, implants | |
| Bioplastic | Limited commercialization (e.g.polylactic acid in3D printing) | Disposable packaging and single-use items | |
| Conductive polymers | Research, experiments, prototypes | Lighter and cheaperwires, 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 forwarships andarmoured fighting vehicles fromshaped charge weapons | |
| Fullerene | Experiments, diffusion | Programmable matter | |
| Graphene | Hypothetical, experiments, diffusion, early uses[73][74] | Higher-specific strength structural components, higher-frequencytransistors, lower-costmobiledisplays,automotivehydrogen storage,biosensors,[75] more efficientbatteries[76] | |
| 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 indry ice; experiments for lower temperatures[77] | No-loss conductors, frictionless bearings,magnetic levitation, losslesshigh-capacity accumulators,electric cars, heat-freeintegrated circuits | |
| Magnetic nanoparticles | Development | Cancer treatment,[78][79]wastewater treatment[80] | |
| Magnetorheological fluid | Research and development, limitedmagnetorheological damping applications | Seismic damping forearthquake 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 emitgravitomagnetic field, frictionless mechanical devices | |
| Metamaterials | Hypothetical, experiments, diffusion[81] | Microscopes,cameras,metamaterial cloaking,cloaking devices | |
| Metal foam | Research, limited commercialization | Space colonies, floating cities | |
| Multi-function structures[82] | 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[83][84] | Higher-specific strength structural components | Potential applications of carbon nanotubes,Carbon-fiber-reinforced polymers |
| Quantum dot | Research, experiments, prototypes,[85] commercialization[citation needed] | Quantum dot lasers,quantum dot displays, fasterdata communication, laserscalpels | |
| 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[86] | Quantum computers with stablequbits | |
| Translucent concrete | Commercialization | Construction of buildings and sculptures (e.g.Europe Gate) |
| 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 | |
| HumanDNA vaccination andmRNA vaccination | Implementation in 2021 to combat theCOVID-19 pandemic | Disease vaccinations, cancer therapy | |
| Enzybiotics | Successful first trials | ||
| Genetic engineering of organisms and viruses | Research, development, commercialization[87][88] | Creating and modifyingspecies (mainly improving their physical and mental capabilities), bio-machines, eliminating genetic disorders (gene therapy), new materials production,[89] healthier and cheaper food, creating drugs and vaccines,research in natural sciences,bioremediation,[90] detecting arsenic,[91]CO2 reducing superplant,[92] | Biopunk,Genetically modified food,superhuman,human enhancement,transhumanism,gene doping,designer baby,genetic pollution |
| Hibernation orsuspended animation | Research, development, animal trials[93] | Organ transplantation,space travel, prolonged surgery, emergency care | |
| Life extension,strategies for engineered negligible senescence | Research, experiments, animal testing[94][95] | Increased life spans | Immortality,biological immortality |
| Nanomedicine | Research, experiments, limited use[96][97] | ||
| 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[98] | Personalized medical procedures, genome sequencing during drug trials | Personal genomics |
| Phage therapy | First trial uses | ||
| Plantibody | Clinical trials | ||
| Regenerative medicine | Some laboratory trials[99] | Life extension | |
| Robotic surgery | Research,diffusion[100][101][102] | ||
| Senolytic | Under investigation | ||
| Stem cell treatments | Research, experiments, phase I human trial spinal cord injury treatment (GERON), cultured cornea transplants[103][104] | 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[105][106] | Infinitely scalable production processes based on programmablespecies of bacteria and other life forms | BioBrick,iGEM,synthetic genomics |
| Tissue engineering | Research, diffusion[107][108][109][110] | 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 orcryoprotectant | Research, some experiments[111] | Organ transplantation,cryonics |
| Emerging technology | Status | Potential applications | Related articles |
|---|---|---|---|
| Artificial brain | Research[24] | Treatment of neurological disease,artificial intelligence | Blue Brain Project,Human Brain Project |
| Brain–computer interface | Research and commercialization | Fastercommunication andlearning, as well as more "real"entertainment (generation of feelings and information in brain on-demand) and the control of emotions in the mentally ill[112] | Experience machine,Neuralink,Stent-electrode recording array |
| Brain-reading,neuroinformatics | Research[113][114] | ||
| Electroencephalography | Research, diffusion[115] | Controlling electronic devices via brain waves | BrainGate |
| Head transplant | Success inanimal experiments, including 2-headed result | Treatment of debilitating diseases or severedisfigurement | Brain transplant,hand transplantation,organ transplantation |
| Memory erasure | Hypothetical, research | Treatment ofpost-traumatic stress disorder | |
| Neuroprosthetics | Research, animal trials | Visual prosthesis,brain implant,exocortex,retinal implant,neurograin[116] | |
| Wetware computer | Experimentation[117] | Artificial Intelligence, better understanding of neurons |
| Emerging technology | Status | Potential applications | Related articles |
|---|---|---|---|
| Caseless ammunition | Field tests and limited commercialization | Lighter and cheaperammunition; 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[118] | Stealth | Metamaterial cloaking |
| Directed-energy weapon | Research, development, some prototypes[119] | 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[120] | 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.[121] | 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 bymarksmen | EXACTO,Smart bullet,TrackingPoint,SMASH Handheld |
| Railgun | Research and development[122][123] | Cheaper and saferammunition | Coilgun |
| Stealth technology | Research, development, commercialization | Electronic countermeasures | Plasma stealth,Stealth aircraft,Radar-absorbent material |
| Telescoped ammunition | Research and development | More compactcartridges | |
| Lightweight Small Arms Technologies | Research and development |
| 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[124] | Commerce, resource supply | |
| Field propulsion | Varies by subtype; some in production/spaceflight status; some theoretical. | Reduction of propellant requirements; orbital maneuvering; long-duration interplanetary and interstellar missions | Electrodynamic tether,Electrodeless plasma thruster,Laser propulsion |
| Inflatable space habitat | Development, prototypes built and tested | Space habitats | Bigelow Aerospace |
| Reusable launch vehicle | Commercial | Circumvention of the cost ofexpendable launch vehicles outside of national government or military missions | Reusable launch vehicle |
| Starshot | Research | Uncrewed interstellar probes[125] | |
| Stasis chamber | Research and development, experiments[126] | Interplanetary space travel, interstellar space travel, medical |
| Emerging technology | Status | Potential applications | Related articles |
|---|---|---|---|
| Android,gynoid | Research, development, prototypes, diffusion, commercializing[127] | Disabled, infant and older people care, housekeeping, sex-worker, flight-attendant,model, hostess, waiter, security guard | Tesla bot,Atlas,Figure AI |
| Gastrobot | Prototypes | Robots fuelled by digesting organic matter | |
| Molecular nanotechnology,nanorobotics | Hypothetical, experiments[128] | Machines that can make anything given the materials, cheap planetaryterraforming | |
| Powered exoskeleton | Research, development, prototypes, diffusion, commercializing[129] | Heavy lifting,paralysis, muscle-related diseases, warfare,construction,firefighting, care for theelderly anddisabled | LOPES (exoskeleton),ReWalk,Human Universal Load Carrier, fictionalarmorIron 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[130] | 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,[131] 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 |
| Emerging technology | Status | Potential applications | Related articles |
|---|---|---|---|
| Airless tire | Research, development, early prototypes[132][133] | Safer tires | Tweel |
| Atmospheric satellite | Experimentation | More widespread communications | |
| Autonomous Rail Rapid Transit | Commercialization, diffusion | Reducingair pollution, decreasingoil consumption | Electric vehicle |
| 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 |
| Distributed propulsion | Prototypes | More efficient air travel | |
| eVTOL | Research, Development | Low emission and low noise air travel, air taxis | |
| 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 limitedinterstellar travel applications | |
| Ground-level power supply | Standardization,[142][143] commercialization[144][145] | Reduction of required battery size and weight forbattery 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[146][147] | Faster trains | Aérotrain,Duke Hospital PRT,Hovercraft |
| Hybrid airship | Prototypes | Air travel with low fuel consumption | Airlander 10 |
| Ion-propelled aircraft | Research, development, prototypes[148][149] | Better flying transportation, efficient propulsion in air | Electrohydrodynamics |
| Jet pack orbackpack helicopter | Early commercialization, prototypes[150] | More effective individual transportation | |
| Maglev train | Research, early commercialization, diffusion[151][152] | Faster trains | Transrapid,Shanghai Maglev Train,Linimo,L0 Series |
| 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,[153] maglev car, maglev based spacecraft launch | Vactrain,Levicar |
| Magnetohydrodynamic drive | Research, development, prototypes[154] | 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[155][156] | More effective transportation | Morgantown PRT,ULTra |
| Physical Internet | Research[157] | ||
| Scooter-sharing system | Commercialization | Increased density[158] | Bird (company) |
| Vactrain | Research, development[159] | 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[160] | 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[161] | Non-rocket spacelaunch | Orbital ring,Sky hook,Space fountain |
| Spaceplane | Research, development[162][163][164] | Hypersonic transport | A2,Skylon |
| Vehicular communication systems | Research and development, some diffusion | Traffic management, automatic accommodation ofemergency vehicles, driver assistance systems, automated highways | Artificial Passenger,Dedicated short-range communications,Intelligent transportation system |