With 2020 now over, it is time for reflection on what has been a very difficult year. But it’s not all doom and gloom, new development activities and technology and innovations have continued in spite of the challenging working conditions. We’ve rounded up the tech that have had the most views in the Idea Catalog, so please take a look and see what's made the list for 2020.
#5 Tomis
Tomography is an imaging technique X-ray, widely used in the medical industry to create detailed pictures, or scans, of areas inside the body. This is a CAT Scan. Tomis is a project that uses this technique for the nuclear industry to characterize the contents of radioactive waste containers. There are quite a few other projects, across the world, investigating this technology since it holds great promise for non-destructive analysis of items that are difficult to characterize. @CEA_France. #tomography. See more.
#4 Ascento
This is a robot with legs AND wheels. The combination gives a mobile ground robot high speed and agility for navigating in complex indoor environments. While legged robots are able to perform feats such as climbing stairs, their wheeled counterparts are faster and less complex. There are a number of very impressive videos showcasing its capabilities. This isn't the only one of its kind, however, there are several other examples across the world with a similar concept. @ETH. #wheel-leg. See more.
#3 Tactile Telerobot
This is a telerobot system (with haptic feedback) that allows you to control a robotic arm and hand from anywhere in the world with an internet connection. Covid has changed the way many people work and this has accelerated technology innovations to support remote working. This is probably not going to go away even after everyone has been vaccinated so teleoperation as a technology is sure to be a large growth area in the future. @shadowrobot. #teleoperation. See more.
#2 UVD Robot
Amongst the (over 45) different robots that emerged to meet the needs of Covid during 2020, this was the most popular for our users. It is quite sophisticated and drives around the area (typically hospitals) autonomously to treat surfaces with UV light from several angles and up close. The robot disinfects all contact surfaces, stopping at predefined hotspots that require a longer time of exposure. @UVDRobots. #Covid-19. See more.
#1 Spot
Spot is the four-legged robot from Boston Dynamics. In 2020, it released a commercial version for sale (about $75,000) and it has now been bought by quite a few organizations interested in using it for development. It is an immensely capable piece of technology - just look at some of the videos. The platform can carry additional technology (such as laser scanners for creating 3D representations of an area) and a huge range of equipment for remote detection and measurement. Other companies have developed similar products, some of which are also quite mature. @BostonDynamics. #Legged. See more.
So there you have it - the top 5 most viewed technologies of 2020. You can use the hashtags to search for other, related, technologies to get a feel for what different industry sectors in different countries are using or developing. #ideacatalog. Register for Free.