22 emerging technologies to watch in 2022

1. Solar Geoengineering Technology

If the world is getting too hot, why not shade it a little? Dust and ash from volcanic eruptions are known to have a cooling effect when they enter the upper atmosphere: the 1991 eruption of Mount Pinatubo in the Philippines caused the Earth’s temperature to drop by 0.5 degrees Celsius over a four-year period. Solar geoengineering technology is intended to proactively achieve the same effect.

This caused huge controversy. Does this method really work? How will rainfall and weather patterns be affected? Will it undermine mitigation measures? The experimental idea has been strongly opposed by some political leaders and activists.Still, a Harvard research team hopes to conduct a long-delayed experiment in 2022, preparing to launch a balloon into the atmosphere’s stratosphere, releasing 2 kilograms of material (probably calcium carbonate), and then monitoring how it dissipates and occurs. React and disperse solar energy.

2. Heat Pump

Heating in winter accounts for about a quarter of global energy consumption. Most means of heating require burning coal, natural gas or oil. This must change if the world is to meet its climate change goals. The most promising alternative is a heat pump—basically a refrigerator that runs in reverse.

Heat pumps are very efficient, delivering 3 kW of heat for every 1 kW of electricity consumed. And running the heat pump in reverse can cool the house.

3. Hydrogen-powered aircraft

Electrifying road traffic is one thing, electrifying aircraft is another. Batteries can only support small planes for short flights.Can hydrogen fuel cells work? Several hydrogen fuel cell airliners are set to fly in 2022.

4. Direct Air Carbon Capture

Carbon dioxide in the atmosphere causes global warming, so why don’t we use machines to pump it out? Several startups are working on direct air carbon capture technologies.

5. Vertical farming

This is a booming new type of agriculture. A vertical “farm” grows crops on stacked pallets with a closed and controlled environment. Efficient LED lighting has reduced planting costs, but energy costs are still a burden. Vertical farms can be located close to customers in order to reduce transportation costs and reduce emissions. Water use is minimized and pests cannot get close, so pesticides are not necessary. Vertical farms typically grow economically valuable leafy greens and herbs, although companies are experimenting with tomatoes, peppers and berries.

6. Sail container ship

Greenhouse gas emissions from ships account for 3% of global emissions, and burning marine fuel oil can also cause acid rain. That wasn’t a problem in the age of sails—so, sails are back, but in a high-tech guise.

7. VR Workout

Most people don’t get enough physical activity on a daily basis. Many people are willing to exercise, but lack motivation.VR (virtual reality) headsets allow people to play games while burning calories, instructing players to smash or chop oncoming objects, or dodge obstacles with squats and shakes. VR workouts have gained traction during the Covid-19 pandemic, as gyms can’t open and consumers are greeted with powerful but inexpensive headsets.

8. HIV and malaria vaccines

The new coronavirus vaccine based on messenger RNA technology has achieved great success, heralding the golden age of vaccine research and development. Moderna is developing an HIV vaccine based on similar technology, which will enter early clinical trials in 2021, with preliminary results expected in 2022. Biontech is developing a malaria vaccine based on messenger RNA technology, with clinical trials expected to start in 2022.

9. 3D printed bone grafts

Scientists have been studying how to use 3D printing of biomaterials to create artificial organs for years. Making fleshy organs is still difficult, but bones are not so troublesome. Two startups, Particle 3D and ADAM, hope to have 3D-printed bones for human transplants in 2022. Both companies use calcium-based minerals as printing materials, and the printing size is based on the CT examination results of patients. Particle 3D’s experiments in pigs and mice found that bone marrow and blood vessels grew into the implant within eight weeks. ADAM says its 3D printed implants stimulate the natural growth of human bone, which undergoes biodegradation and is eventually replaced by the patient’s own bone tissue. If all goes well, 3D printing blood vessels and heart valves will be the next goal, the researchers said.

10. Flying electric taxi

Flying electric taxis, or vertical take-off and landing electric aircraft in the mouth of the industry, have long been regarded as a fantasy, but now they are getting closer to reality. Several companies around the world will ramp up test flights in 2022, hoping to obtain commercial certification in the next year or two.

11. Space tourism

2021 will be a year of brilliant achievements in space tourism, and people are looking forward to 2022 as companies bring ordinary people to the sky with the support of billionaires. In 2022, the number of global self-funded space travelers is expected to exceed the number of official astronauts for the first time.

12. Drone delivery

The take-off of drone delivery has taken longer than expected, but new rules that go into effect in 2021 will help drone delivery take off in 2022.

13. Silent supersonic plane

For half a century, scientists have wondered if the intensity of a sonic boom could be reduced by changing the shape of a supersonic plane. Only recently have computers advanced enough to perform the necessary simulations to put noise reduction theory into practice.

14. 3D printed houses

Architects often use 3D printing technology to create miniature scale architectural models. In fact, this technology can also be scaled up to build real objects. The foam-like print material is ejected from the nozzle and then hardens. After layer by layer, a house is printed. The printing operation can be carried out directly on site, or the house can be disassembled into several components to be processed in the factory, and then shipped to the site for assembly.

15. Sleep Technology

This is the new wave of Silicon Valley. Not content with maximizing productivity and performance while awake, computer nerds are now busy using a range of techniques to optimize their sleep. Related products include rings and headbands to record and track sleep quality, machines that hypnotize with soothing sounds, devices to heat and cool mattresses, and smart alarm clocks that wake you up at the perfect moment.

16. Personalized Nutrition

Diet alone is not enough. Evidence is mounting that everyone’s metabolism is unique, and so should food choices.Welcome to the world of personalized nutrition: mobile apps use algorithms to tell you when and what to eat, measure your blood and gut microbiome, count lifestyle data including physical activity, size devices to track blood sugar levels in real time. Some companies will also seek regulatory approval for their treatments for conditions such as diabetes and migraines.

17. Health smart wearable products

The growing popularity of remote medical care is likely to change the development landscape of smart health wearables.Currently such products are mainly used for sports and fitness, but some consultancies believe that the line between consumer and medical use of such products is becoming more and more blurred.

Today’s smartwatches can measure blood oxygen, do electrocardiograms and detect atrial fibrillation. The next-generation Apple Watch, expected in 2022, may incorporate sensors for monitoring blood sugar, blood alcohol levels, blood pressure and body temperature.

18. The Metaverse

In 1992, American science fiction writer Neil Stephenson proposed the term “metaverse” in his novel “Avalanche” to refer to a permanent virtual world. In 2022, the metaverse is used to refer to the fusion of video games, social networking and entertainment with the aim of creating new immersive experiences. Games like Minecraft and Fortnite can be seen as springboards to emerging mediums.

19. Quantum Computing

The idea that existed only on a blackboard in the 1990s has morphed into a competition between tech giants and start-ups: How to harness the extraordinary properties of quantum physics to create a new kind of computer?

When will such a computer come out? One indicator of quantum computer performance is the number of qubits. A Chinese team has built a computer with 66 qubits. But existing quantum computers have a fatal flaw: the quantum states they rely on last for less than a second. It will take many years to solve this problem

20. Virtual influencer

Unlike real influencers, virtual influencers are never late for photos, get drunk at parties, or grow old. “Lil Miquela” is one of the most famous virtual influencers, “she” is a fictional 19-year-old Brazilian-American girl with 3 million followers on social media platforms. An estimated $15 billion will be spent on influencer marketing in 2022, and virtual influencers will increase rapidly.

21. Brain-computer interface

In April 2021, entrepreneur Elon Musk excitedly posted on social media that a macaque was actually using a brain chip to telepathically play video games”. Musk’s “Neural Connections” company implanted two sets of electrodes into the brains of macaque monkeys. The signals from these electrodes are transmitted wirelessly and decoded by a nearby computer, allowing the macaques to move the racket in the game screen by mere thought. The “Neural Connections” company hopes to use its device for human trials in 2022, enabling paralyzed people to operate computers.

22. Artificial meat

Artificial meat can be grown without harming animals, simply by extracting cells from them and placing them in a solution rich in proteins, sugars, fats, vitamins and minerals. In 2020, EatJust became the first company approved to sell faux meat in Singapore. More companies will join by 2022. Eco-conscious meat lovers will soon get their steak and eat it up.