From biodegradable plastics to humanoid robots, a new wave of emerging technologies is on the horizon that have the potential to provide major benefits to societies and economies in the years to come, a new World Economic Forum (WEF) report said. An international Steering Committee of leading technology experts identified this year's "Top 10 Emerging Technologies" -- humanoid (and animaloid) robots designed to socialize with people; a system for pinpointing the source of a food-poisoning outbreak in seconds and minuscule lenses that will pave the way for diminutive cameras and other devices, among others. "Technologies that are emerging today will soon be shaping the world tomorrow and well into the future – with impacts to economies and to society at large," said Mariette DiChristina, Editor-in-Chief of Scientific American, and chair of the Emerging Technologies Steering Committee. Bioplastics are advanced solvents and enzymes that are transforming woody wastes into better biodegradable plastics. Like standard plastics derived from petrochemicals, biodegradable versions consist of polymers (long-chain molecules) that can be moulded while in their fluid state into a variety of forms.