| Connected Car / Connected car technology |
Systems that equip cars with increased communication technologies, allowing for communication between vehicles (vehicle-to-vehicle or V2V), between vehicles and infrastructure (V2I) and between vehicles and pedestrians (V2P). Collectively Vehicle-to-everything (V2X) technology uses a combination of sensors, cameras, global positioning systems (GPS) and wireless connectivity to enable cars to collect and share information. |
| Digital twins |
Digital twins are virtual counterparts of physical entities that try to “faithfully mirror” this counterpart in real time and predict outcomes. They have a wide range of applications in industry and across the wider economy, such as digital twins that replicate supply chains to help businesses respond to the risk of disruption. |
| Entanglement |
One of the quantum phenomena used to unlock new capabilities. When particles (such as two photons or electrons) are entangled, they form such a strong bond that the behaviour of one can determine the exact behaviour of the other. This effect occurs regardless of how far away they are from each other 112. Quantum technologies use this property to help securely share information, or to take ultra-precise measurements and images at the atomic level, even at a distance, in low light, or outside the line of sight. |
| Generative AI |
Artificial intelligence models that can create new content eg text, computer code, audio, music, images, and videos. Typically these models are trained on extensive datasets, which allows them to exhibit a broad range of general-purpose capabilities. |
| Genomics |
A relatively recent branch of scientific study focused on the study of the entirety of a person’s DNA sequence (the genome). It looks at the interplay of genes with each other and their environments and how these can impact our traits and characteristics. |
| Internet of Things (IoT) |
The network of physical objects (‘things’) that can connect and share information with other things and systems over the internet. These ‘things’ can sense, respond to or interact with the external environment. IoT includes both consumer devices eg smart TVs or smart speakers, and industrial systems. |
| MRHA |
Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency. Responsible for regulating medicines, medical devices and blood components for transfusion, in the UK. |
| Nanodiamond Quantum sensor |
An emerging sensor technology that uses the properties of a lattice of carbon atoms with specific chemical impurities to potentially allow for new types of sensor applications, including in biology and medicine. |
| Nano-scale |
Measurement scales used for extremely small objects, such as DNA. A nanometer is one-billionth of a meter. As an example, a human hair is approximately 80,000-100,000 nanometers wide. |
| Neurotechnologies |
A group of technologies and procedures that allow for the monitoring, assessing, emulating and manipulation of functions of neural systems, including the human brain. Examples include brain to computer interfaces, prosthetics and diagnostic devices. |
| Neurodiscrimination |
A new type of discrimination we may see in future resulting from, among other things, inaccurate or biased analysis of neurodata. For further information see the discussion in our Tech futures report on neurotechnologies. |
| Sandbox |
Sandboxes are programmes that allow new products or services to tested in a controlled environment. the ICO Regulatory Sandbox is a free service developed by the ICO, to support organisations who are creating products and services which utilise personal data in innovative and safe ways. Participants have the opportunity to engage with our Sandbox team, to draw upon our wider ICO expertise and advice on mitigating risks and embedding 'data protection design'. |
| Smart cities, or smart city initiatives |
An aspirational term with a contested definition encompassing attempts to increase the integration of physical, digital and human systems in the built environment. Typically pursued with the ambition of creating cities that are sustainable, liveable, resilient, and able to make more efficient use of limited resources. |
| Smart pills |
Small ingestible technologies equipped with various sensors and capable of transmitting information to external devices. Also known as digital pills. |
| Use cases |
The anticipated, imagined or expected uses for a technology in development. Uses cases typically inform the design or a technology as it becomes adapted into products and services. |