Directorate-General for Research & Innovation logo Horizon: the EU Research & Innovation magazine | European Commission logo
Receive our editor’s picks

ICT

Neurologists, architects, artists, and epidemiologists are collaborating to design cities that could be used to improve well-being among older people. Image credit - Senior Guidance, licensed under CCby2.0
health | ict | industry
06 August 2019

Emotional response to city design could guide urban planning

Virtual reality and scenario-testing models are being built to help urban planners and architects get real-time feedback about the impact of their designs on mental health, particularly for older people.  

AI can be used to identify potential perpetrators of violent crimes and assess the risk of a criminal re-offending. Image credit - Max Pixel, licensed under CC0
ict | policy
30 July 2019

Getting AI ethics wrong could ‘annihilate technical progress’

An intelligent water gun that uses facial recognition to identify its targets is helping to highlight some of the emerging human rights issues surrounding artificial intelligence (AI) – an area of research that is on the rise as new technologies become more and more prevalent in our daily lives.

Quantum sensors could transform a range of areas from atomic clocks and the way we measure electromagnetic radiation. Image credit - Heiko Grandel for the institute of quantum optics from Ulm. Image credit - Universität Ulm / Heiko Grandel
health | ict
24 June 2019

Quantum technology could revolutionise the detection and treatment of diseases

When you hear the word ‘quantum’, you may imagine physicists working on a new ground breaking theory. Or perhaps you’ve read about quantum computers and how they might change the world. But one lesser-known field is also starting to reap the benefits of the quantum realm – medicine.

5G could shake up the mobile phone industry particularly with neutral hosting – a new model of ownership that makes mobile infrastructure shared and more efficient. But for it to work, it needs to happen on a large scale. Image credit - Pixabay/ResoneTIC, licensed under pixabay license
ict | industry
20 June 2019

How 5G could democratise the telecoms industry

A new, digital revolution might be about to hit us. Autonomous cars are driving our way, cities and companies are rapidly ramping up the use of sensors – also called the Internet of Things (IoT) – and virtual and augmented reality are making rapid strides.

Quantum simulators could help solve logistical challenges, such as making sure planes and airline crew are in the right place in order for flights to run smoothly. Image credit - Pixabay/ Free-Photos, licensed under pixabay license
ict
17 June 2019

Quantum simulation could help flights run on time

A powerful new form of computing could help scientists design new types of materials for nanoelectronics, allow airlines to solve complex logistical problems to ensure flights run on time, and tackle traffic jams to keep cars flowing more freely on busy roads.

Cryptography that would be impossible for a regular computer to crack, would take a quantum computer just seconds. Image credit - Pixabay/ joffi, licensed under pixabay license
ict
11 June 2019

Quantum – a double-edged sword for cryptography

Quantum computers pose a big threat to the security of modern communications, deciphering cryptographic codes that would take regular computers forever to crack. But drawing on the properties of quantum behaviour could also provide a route to truly secure cryptography.

In about a year's time we'll hit a milestone when a quantum computer outperforms the best classical computer, says Dr Monz. Image credit - Dr Thomas Monz
interview | ict
04 June 2019

‘Quantum computers will soon outperform classical machines’

European scientists have spent 100 years developing the field of quantum mechanics – a branch of physics dealing with the atomic and subatomic scale – and we need to reap the profits now that quantum computers and other technologies are becoming a reality, according to Dr Thomas Monz from the University of Innsbruck, Austria.

A new way of teaching known as STEAM is breaking down the barriers between science, technology, engineering, art and maths. Image credit - Laura Taverna/ Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia
ict
09 May 2019

How music and movement can help kids understand maths

Staring at rows of numbers or formulas on a page can be off-putting for many children studying mathematics or science in school. But music, drawing and even body movement are providing promising new ways of teaching complex subjects to youngsters.

Voting in a polling booth and online voting are like apples and pears - it's not a matter of just replacing one with another, says Dr Kremer. Image credit - Santeri Viinamäki, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
frontier research | ict | security
01 April 2019

‘Online voting isn’t ready for high-stakes elections’

Online voting is often considered a way to improve voter turnout and security. But according to Dr Steve Kremer of the French Institute for Research in Computer Science and Automation, computer scientists have got a long way to go before they make it a viable alternative to pencils and paper.

An automated wheelchair with an exoskeleton arm is designed to help people with varying forms of disability carry out daily tasks independently. Image credit - AIDE, Universidad Miguel Hernandez
health | ict | industry
26 March 2019

Robotic arms and temporary motorisation – the next generation of wheelchairs

Next-generation wheelchairs could incorporate brain-controlled robotic arms and rentable add-on motors in order to help people with disabilities more easily carry out daily tasks or get around a city.

Pages