The H/H team isn’t going to South by Southwest this year, but we ARE paying close attention to the buzzed-about topics coming out of Austin this weekend. To that end, we’ve put together a list of the top 5 trends attendees can expect to be hearing lots about  (and subsequently the rest of us will be hearing about via the internets).  Absolutely nothing beats a Monday morning list featuring both robots AND space travel.

1. SPACE TRAVEL!

If the schedule is any indication, a lot of people will be talking about space travel. More specifically, PRIVATE space travel. There’s several panels on the topic, including a keynote from Tesla & SpaceX CEO Elon Musk.

2. ROBOTS

The technology around robots and Artificial Intelligence is starting to get (scary?) impressive, and it’ll be a big part of the discussion this week. Keep an eye on twitter for all the cool talking gizmos being trotted out in between parties and networking sessions.

3. 3D PRINTING

This is becoming a running theme at South-By, but the tech gets better every year. Please see the Future of 3D Printing and 3D Printing for People w/ Disabilities for further examples of this point.

4. THE QUANTIFIED SELF

Your morning jog just isn’t fun anymore if you can’t track how far you went, how many calories you burned and then share it with friends via social media. That’s why Self Tracking and Digital Health will be all over the place this year.

5. PARTIES

Technically this isn’t a topic, but it is something that everyone in Austin will be bragging about when they get home. Parties are always a big part of the South By experience. Yes, they’re a place to get down and have a good time. But they’re ALSO a great place to network and form partnerships that could last for years to come. We’re looking forward to photos from both the Mashable ‘Mash Bash’ and the Video Game Cosplay party, because who wouldn’t be?

Tags: 3D Printing, artificial intelligence, Austin Texas, Elon Musk, Mashable, private space travel, quantified self, robots, Saatchi New York, Saatchi NY, South by Southwest, South by Southwest Interactive, SXSW, SXSWi, Tesla