 It's the 2020 Top 10 Coolest Science and Technology Advances. 10. How about Superman-like X-ray vision in the form of goggles for soldiers? Researchers created an imaging system to see objects through environmental barriers like sand. They shine an ultra-fast laser through a barrier and read back the reflected photons, assembling an image of what is behind the barrier in just fractions of a second. This new research will show objects in three dimensions, giving soldiers more accurate situational and threat awareness in degraded visual environments. 9. Using laser beams, army researchers levitate atoms and freeze them to the coldest temperatures on Earth. Patterns of quantum information are stored in the frozen atoms, creating quantum holograms that can be retrieved. The resulting holographic quantum memory is a building block for future army quantum networks with exponentially more powerful capabilities in computing, sensing, and communications. 8. A new ultra-thin radiofrequency switch could provide access to the highest 5G frequencies and enable 6G and beyond. Building off a material the army discovered 10 years ago, research partners developed a switch that continually finds the best available frequencies. It is more than 100 times more energy efficient than what is used today. The one atom thick switch is a fraction of a nanometer easily integrated into soldiers' uniforms without extra bulk or weight. This could revolutionize the way the army communicates and could be integrated into satellite systems, smart radios, and across the Internet of Things. 7. Imagine autonomous independent sensors creating their own radio network in a remote location. Army scientists are working on technology that will provide soldiers with situational awareness through a unique autonomous mesh networking solution. Dropped sensors on a battlefield autonomously form their own network to route communications back to a place of interest, whether it's a command post or a lone soldier. This radio network created on the fly requires little to no user intervention and is more than 20 times more energy efficient than conventional army radios, meaning soldiers can carry less and communicate better. 6. Just like autonomous cars are able to detect their surroundings, soldiers need real-time scene understanding at the tactical edge. Using artificial intelligence and machine learning, researchers developed a novel object recognition model to immediately detect objects of interest. Sensors deployed on platforms such as drones or ground vehicles capture images in video. This capability enables rapid decision making, reducing mission risk. Sometimes we could all use a little stimulation to kickstart our brains. Army and academic researchers found how a subtle electrical nudge helps the brain reorganize its activity to rapidly adapt and better make decisions. This research lays the groundwork for improved teaming with intelligent agents, with possible future neurotechnologies that could prevent or predict behavioral mistakes, or assess individual cognitive performance to keep our soldiers sharp. 4. Army helicopters perform some of the most daring maneuvers in some of the most dangerous places in the world. Researchers studied 15 years of flight patterns. More than 1.3 million flights from 4,000 Army Black Hawk helicopters connect which specific aircraft parts undergo the most wear and tear during these maneuvers. The result? A robust AI model predicting which critical parts will fail, how and when, with nearly 100% accuracy. This significantly reduces costs to sustain the existing fleet, improving mission outcomes and protecting our pilots. Researchers looked to nature to emulate the perfect dynamic flying formation. Army and academic researchers developed autonomous omniscient swarming drones. Equipped with cameras, these drones look around and see each other and independently reason about each other's size, distance and motion. The agents then communicate with each other. Through a form of machine learning, they imitate each other and decide how to reach the ideal collective goal. This could lead to completely autonomous cohesion and decision making to assist our soldiers in the most critical situations. 2. Army scientists pioneered the 3D printing frontier with first of its kind polymers for energetics and metals, including the highest strength steel ever made to develop the next generation of munitions. They were the first in the world to demonstrate 3D structural circuit manufacturing that will revolutionize munition fusing and sensing while also saving weight and space. But how durable are they? These 3D printed munitions have high G survivability, with standing the most extreme accelerations that even current munitions can't match. This will help soldiers in extreme environments and tomorrow's battlefield. Army researchers used the latest technologies to create the most intelligent munitions that navigate to and hit targets. With onboard sensors, actuators and an imager, a munition runs an algorithm on the tip of the artillery piece as it flies to its target. Current systems rely on GPS to navigate to a specified coordinate. This munition enables moving the flight path both in initial guidance and mid-flight, improving the munitions range and speed to hit a moving target. This will be a crucial element to ensure the army's dominance on land, on sea, and in the air. Thanks for joining us for a look at the top 10 coolest science and technology advances of 2020. 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