2024 FOS Future Lab exhibitors announced

Split into four exciting zones, each celebrating a different area of exploration for the world of tech, Future Lab will be an amazing interactive space for all ages to get their hands on the latest gizmos.

This year’s themes will be Protecting the Planet, Robotics to the Rescue, Future of Flight and Our World in Pixels. Between them, they cover an incredibly wide range of tech, from vertical takeoff jets to virtual reality filming and even sustainable space exploration.

But the Festival’s focus on the future of technology doesn’t end here, as Indy Autonomous Challenge graduates from Future Lab to the legendary Hill for 2024.

Protecting the planet

This section of Future Lab will focus on exhibitors tackling some of the biggest challenges of our time, making breakthroughs in material science, advanced engineering, automation and Earth observation, enabling the transformation of global industries. Each of these exhibitors empower our ability to build a future in which we can thrive and sustainably provide for the demands of an evolving global population.

Privateer

Co-founded by Apple inventor Steve Wozniak, Privateer is pioneering a satellite economy to ensure a sustainable future in space. It’s developed a real-time Wayfinder platform that helps satellite operators safely navigate while in orbit. Its recently-acquired TerraScope app uses AI modelling to expand access to Earth observations from space.

Astroscale

Motivated by the growing number of redundant satellites and rockets that clutter the Earth’s orbit, Astroscale is developing technologies to reduce the mess and enable a sustainable future space environment.

Durham University Solar Car

Thousands of hours of research, testing, analysis and experimentation by the Department of Engineering have gone into Durham’s solar-powered cars. The DUSC2023, which set a British record at the 2023 Australian World Solar Challenge when it completed the 3,000km journey in six days, will be taking to the Festival of Speed Hill for a dynamic demonstration. The car that will race in the 24-hour Belgium iLumen European Solar Challenge will be on display inside FOS Future Lab.

Helixx

Helixx is a pioneer of Vertically-Integrated Mobility as a Service (V-MaaS), sustainable EV ecosystems enabled through licensable ‘Factory in a Box’ solutions. The goal is to make eco-friendly transportation accessible and affordable, with EV fleets offered in different formats tailored to specific needs, whether it’s for use in cities or local manufacturing to reduce costs, enhance operational efficiency and support cleaner urban mobility for the future.

Levidian

Levidian is on a mission to decarbonise the world’s most carbon-intensive industries. Its patented LOOP technology captures carbon and methane gas before it’s burned to create hydrogen and solid carbon in the form of graphene, an incredibly strong material that can be used to enhance the performance of things like batteries, tyres and plastics.

The Tyre Collective

The Tyre Collection is developing solutions to reduce the substantial pollution caused by tyre wear. It works with vehicle manufacturers and commercial fleet operators to capture the pollutant at source with patent-pending technology that uses electrostatics and airflow to capture rubber particles.

KALMAR Automotive

Automotive haute-couture for the future, KALMAR Automotive has pioneered an ‘evergreen philosophy’ that informs the development of its 7-97 E-Volt, a handcrafted modification of a Porsche 964 that incorporates cutting-edge materials to reduce the environmental strain. It has an electric powertrain, which is then covered in a lightweight plant-fibre body shell, greatly reducing carbon emissions through the production cycle.

Robotics to the Rescue

Here, Future Lab champions the work of pioneering robotics technology. Each of these exhibitors are delivering life-changing innovations in AI, machine learning and automation, offering big benefits to a range of industries to improve productivity, precision, safety and the wider workforce with its environment targets with unprecedented data analysis.

Dexory

Dexory has developed a real-time data intelligence platform that is being put to use by the logistics industry. Fully automated robots collect data by roaming the aisles to track inventory, visualise assets and monitor environment data. It can scan up to 10,000 locations per hour to build a live digital representation that allows companies to identify bottlenecks, forecast demand to operate with increased accuracy.

Earth Rover

Earth Rover is a pioneering agri-tech company working to revolutionise agriculture and horticulture through its sustainable autonomous robotic solution, CLAWS, a lightweight, solar-powered contraption makes use of AI to apply concentrated light to target the meristems of weeds and eliminate the need to use herbicides and preserve the health and structure of the soil. It also acquires real-time data about each and every plant.

Hausbots

Hausbots design and manufacture robotic platforms for a variety of inspection and maintenance tasks in industrial processes. The goal is to remove humans from dangerous environments, these robots can carry out tasks such as cleaning chemical storage tanks, improving efficiency and providing inspection data.

Shadow Robot

Having worked on the challenge of robot dexterity for more than 20 years, Shadow Robot now develops the most advanced robot hands. The aim of these hands is to revolutionise workflows and bring precision and efficiency to a wide range of research tasks. Its latest product, the Google DeepMind robot hand, will be revealed for the first time in FOS Future Lab.

Sheffield Robotics

Sheffield Robotics develops interactive educational robotics products and researches new interfaces to improve collaboration between robots and people, with the goal of supporting a better understanding of the future potential for robotics, AI and automation. This team is on a mission to build resources and shape policy to enable more people to embrace the future of robotics and AI.

Future of Flight

The exhibitors in this section of FOS Future Lab are all at the forefront of cutting edge developments in unmanned flight technologies that are opening up commercial and logistical opportunities for revolutionary aerial services that will benefit our daily lives. They’re busy delivering new operating systems to safely navigate and manage airspace, and designing new aircraft solutions to support delivery logistics, industrial inspection, environmental research, transit and connectivity.

Dronamics

Dronamics is the world’s first cargo drone airline. It designs, builds and operates long-range cargo drones capable of carrying up to 350kg a distance of 2,500km. These drones are 80 per cent faster, 50 per cent cheaper, with 60 per cent lower CO2 emissions than traditional freight. Dronamics’ Black Swan aircraft, which requires only a 400m runway and can offer same-day shipping over long distances, will be unveiled to the public in FOS Future Lab.

Hybrid Air Vehicles (HAV)

The developer of Airlander 10, Hybrid Air Vehicles is pioneering zero-emission aircraft to deliver cost-effective cargo, passenger transportation, communications and surveillance with a clear pathway to zero emissions by 2030. Airlander 10 can carry up to 100 passengers or ten tonnes of freight, and is a precursor to larger future variants.

The Drone Rules (TDR)

Sticking with drones, TDR leads the industry with innovative solutions and advancing education through its STEM divisions: Drone City which provides books, programmes and camps to educate and inspire children aged five–11, and Droneworxx which offers specialised programmes designed to prepare individuals aged 11–21 for careers in technology and aviation.

sees.ai

sees.ai is busy developing the operating system that will eventually make it possible to deliver aerial intelligence at scale. It’ll give operators of critical infrastructure, such as electricity, oil and gas, the ability to fly connected fleets of inspection drones beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS).

Royal Mail

Royal Mail is also experimenting with the viability of drones for its deliveries to more remote and island communities in the future. It’s looking for increased reliability and speed of delivery, additional connectivity and improved environmental credentials compared to conventional air freight. It has so far conducted trials to and from the Shetland Islands, Orkney Islands and the Isle of Scily.

Windracers

A pioneer in self-flying aircraft, Windracers’ universal ULTRA fixed-wing drone is powered by a ground-breaking uncrewed autopilot system called Masterless. It’s available to everyone, everywhere for multiple applications. It holds more BVLOS permissions than any other operator, and Winfracers has deployed its drone for the likes of the MOD, British Antarctic Survey, and Royal Mail.

Lilium x Volare

Introducing a revolution in sustainable, high- speed regional air mobility, Lilium is developing the world’s first electric Vertical Take-Off and Landing (eVTOL) premium jet. Offering a zero-operating-emissions, low-noise, private transport solution that will be faster than existing high-speed alternatives, the jet has been developed by Lilium in Germany and is being introduced to the UK in 2026 by private aviation consultants Volare as the sole UK distributor.

Our World in Pixels

Here, exhibitors are pushing advances in spatial computing, AI, real-time processing and sophisticated gaming engines to turn the digital world into an environment for research, product development, education and training. They’re working to facilitate experiences that are not physically possible, applying digital technologies with wide-ranging impacts to efficiency, safety and sustainability.

Atlantic Productions

Atlantic Productions has won multiple BFTA and Emmy awards, including the first ever BAFTA for virtual reality storytelling. Founded by Anthony Geffen, the world’s leading factual documentary company, Atlantic’s recent projects include Galápagos VR with David Attenborough, as well as collaborations with Google, Apple, Meta and NASA. It is also a content partner for the Apple Cision Pro headset.

GeoAcoustics

GeoAcoustics develops innovative sensor technologies to collect underwater data to map out the ocean floor, a critical undertaking for understanding the environmental changes occurring in our seas. It’s partnered up with the Gebco Seabed 2030 mission to build a complete map of the seabed and working on seagrass monitoring around the UK coast.

Metaverse VR

Revolutionary skills and experiential training for the likes of the military is what Metaverse VR is all about. It creates and delivers award-winning immersive content solutions in VR to support organisations and transform the ways they train and deploy, changing the way people think and behave using advanced gaming engines to design high-definition interactive environments and AI-enabled avatars.

Performit Live

Performit Live is aiming to democratise the art of motion capture, making it possible for anyone to capture and stream character movement, including facial and hand gestures, without the need for complex PC setups or specialised camera gear. It uses a patented technology that connects animators with skilled performers from anywhere in the world.

Miirage

At the forefront of redefining holographic technology, Mirage is delivering photo-realistic, life-size digital experiences with a unique, flexible, high-definition modular system offering razor-sharp visual quality. It’s focused on enhancing the realism and interactivity of next-generation holograms, prioritising accessibility and affordability. Mirage is committed to pushing the boundaries and transforming ordinary spaces into extraordinary digital worlds.

Future Lab will also take centre stage as part of Goodwood’s commitment to inspire the next generation in STEM. As part of this programme 1,000 school students from 24 colleges and schools will visit the Festival for a specially-curated programme of talks and workshops, including with Future Lab exhibitors, as well as a series of seminars from the Goodwood Education Trust.

Speaking about this year’s Future Lab, the Duke of Richmond said: “This year, our new FOS TECH ethos will bring together our future technology and mobility content. Whether exploring Future Lab presented by Randox, Electric Avenue or enjoying content on the Hill, visitors to the Festival of Speed can experience the work of groundbreaking innovators and their vision for tomorrow’s world.”

Randox will be showcasing their unique science, technology, engineering and innovation – delivering a new range of preventative health solutions directly to the public with the continuous aim of improving health worldwide. Randox will be showcasing their revolutionary biochip technology, capable of screening for hundreds of data points from a single patient sample to provide clients with cutting-edge insights to help improve health and live better for longer.

Sensing the potential to improve healthcare through diagnostic innovation, Randox have invested significantly in the development of Biochip Array Technology, allowing many tests to be run simultaneously. The Randox Biochip is key to unlocking true personalised medicine. Ultimately it acts as a roadmap of your health by predicting the health conditions of which you are personally at risk of in the future. By taking preventative action you will be empowered to live healthier for longer.

Photography by Press Association, Stephanie O’ Callaghan, Dominic James, Mike Caldwell, and Toby Adamson.