Articles: Communications
Motion Control in Factories: Choosing the Right Solution
The need for Ethernet-based communication within the factory has grown over the past 10 years. Detailed information about the tasks and performance of machines at every stage is...
Briefs: Motion Control
Technique Allows Mobile Robots to Navigate Autonomously
A technique was developed to quickly teach robots novel traversal behaviors with minimal human oversight. The technique allows mobile robot platforms to navigate autonomously in...
Articles: Mechanical & Fluid Systems
Single-Axis Motion Control Systems: Multi-Sourced vs. Single-Sourced
In today’s fast-paced industrial settings, speed and efficiency are key. Reducing time spent on sourcing, installing, and testing motion control systems can play a big...
Briefs: Mechanical & Fluid Systems
Popcorn-Driven Robotic Actuators
When heated, popcorn can expand more than 10 times in size, change its viscosity by a factor of 10, and transition from regular to highly irregular granules with surprising force. These unique qualities can...
Briefs: Motion Control
Robotic Modules Modify Their Environment for Specific Tasks
Given the exact parameters of the task at hand, a robot can assemble a car door or pack a box faster and more efficiently than a human, but such purpose-built machines are not...
Application Briefs: Imaging
Unique Lift System Enables Installation and Servicing of Large Telescope Mirrors
The Large Synoptic Survey Telescope (LSST), under construction atop 8,737-foot El Peñón peak in northern Chile, is a partnership project of the National...
Products: Mechanical & Fluid Systems
New Products: October 2018 Motion Design
Simotics SD Pro low-voltage motors from Siemens (Munich, Germany) are suited for mains-fed operation or with a converter for voltages up to 690 volts. There is generally...
Technology Leaders: Electronics & Computers
Key Considerations When Selecting a Connector Solution
Electronics industry trends develop and change, technologies emerge and improve, and new applications bring new requirements and challenges. While this obviously has an impact on the...
Researchers have developed a method to simultaneously control diverse optical properties of dielectric waveguides by using a two-layer coating, each layer with a...
Q&A: Electronics & Computers
Q&A: UCSD's Sheng Xu Builds a Stretchable Health-Monitoring Patch
A team led by UCSD has built a stretchable electronic patch that can be worn on the skin like a bandage and used to wirelessly monitor a variety of physical and electrical...
Briefs: Materials
3D-Printing Light Receptors on a Hemispherical Surface
Researchers have 3D-printed an array of light receptors on a hemispherical surface. This discovery could lead to a “bionic eye” that could someday help blind people see or sighted...
Products: Manufacturing & Prototyping
New on the Market: October 2018
The Sitrans TH320/420 and TR320/420 WirelessHART (Highway Addressable Remote Transducer Protocol) temperature transmitters from Siemens, Erlangen, Germany, are available for...
Articles: Sensors/Data Acquisition
Products of Tomorrow: October 2018
This column presents technologies that have applications in commercial areas, possibly creating the products of tomorrow. To learn more about each technology, see the contact information provided for that...
Briefs: Electronics & Computers
Evaluating Effects of Exhaust Heat Recovery Systems on Fuel Economy and Emissions
The exhaust heat recovery system (EHRS) in an automobile captures the thermal energy from exhaust and transfers it to the engine coolant. As the car warms up,...
Briefs: Materials
Technique Creates Adaptive Materials
A technique that enables on-demand control of composite behavior could enable a variety of new capabilities for future rotorcraft design, performance, and maintenance. The focus of the research was on...
Briefs: Electronics & Computers
Power Line Detection System for Unmanned Aircraft Systems
Electrical power lines pose a serious crash hazard to helicopters and other air-based vehicles, especially small aerial vehicles such as unmanned aircraft systems (UAS). This is because power lines are so widespread, hard to see, and strung at roughly the same height above the ground at...
Articles: Mechanical & Fluid Systems
NASA at 60: 1958-2018 Decades of Discovery
For six decades, NASA has led the peaceful exploration of space, making discoveries about our planet, our solar system, and our universe. At home, NASA research has made great advances in aviation,...
Briefs: Sensors/Data Acquisition
Configuration Enables RFID Tags to Work as Sensors
The detection and localization of gas releases, such as methane from leaking natural gas pipelines or nitrogen oxides from failing electrical equipment, require high sensitivity to the target gas and insensitivity to non-target gases. Infrared (IR) absorption spectroscopy gives highly specific...
Articles: Aerospace
NASA at 60: The First A
The first “A” in NASA stands for aeronautics — the science of travel through the air. It's as much about flying on airplanes and arriving safely at a destination as it is about astronauts in space. NASA's roots...
Briefs: Mechanical & Fluid Systems
Acoustic Beamforming Array Using Feedback-Controlled Microphones for Tuning and Self-Matching of Frequency Response
NASA's Langley Research Center, in collaboration with Michigan State University (MSU), has developed a microphone array that...
Briefs: Aerospace
Optical Mass Sensor for Multi-Phase Flows
NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center is offering opportunities for its new fiber optic mass flow sensor system. Capable of measuring multi-phase flows in a pipe, the technology is minimally invasive,...
Briefs: Manufacturing & Prototyping
Bio-Renewable Process Creates “Green” Plastic
Plastics are often derived from petroleum, contributing to reliance on fossil fuels, and driving harmful greenhouse gas emissions.
Facility Focus: Power
Facility Focus: Idaho National Laboratory
In 1951, the first nuclear reactor in Idaho was built, starting a legacy at what is now Idaho National Laboratory (INL). INL is the site where 52 pioneering nuclear reactors were designed and...
Briefs: Sensors/Data Acquisition
Compact, High-Resolution Rotary Position Sensor
It is often desirable to sense the angular position of a rotating part. Numerous kinds of rotation sensors have been developed over the years; one type is a capacitive sensor, where a...
Briefs: Mechanical & Fluid Systems
Engineering Soft Materials that Mimic Neural Tissue
A process for engineering next-generation soft materials with embedded chemical networks that mimic the behavior of neural tissue lays the foundation for soft active matter with highly...
When hit with light, semiconductors (materials that have an electrical resistance in between that of metals and insulators) generate an electric current....
Articles: Test & Measurement
NASA at 60: Celebrating Success
Over the past 60 years, NASA scientists and engineers have developed many advanced technologies and processes. But NASA has also partnered with industry, using commercially available products to complete its missions. Here, some of those companies join NASA in celebrating these collaborative successes.
Articles: Software
NASA at 60: From Space to Earth
The benefits of NASA's space exploration efforts are not limited to the cosmos. NASA technologies provide innovative solutions for people around the world. NASA missions have generated thousands of spinoffs...
Briefs: Electronics & Computers
Switch Controls Light on a Nanoscale for Faster Information Processing
Photons, or units of light, are faster than electrons and could, therefore, process information faster from smaller chip structures. A switch was designed that bypasses a...
Briefs: Aerospace
Air Traffic Management (ATM) System
As the demand for air transportation increases, the capacity of the current U.S. ATM system will eventually be stressed to its limits. New technologies in communication, navigation, and surveillance (CNS),...
Briefs: Semiconductors & ICs
“Soft Hardware” Cloth Has Built-In Electronic Devices
Optical fibers have been traditionally produced by making a cylindrical object called a preform — essentially, a scaled-up model of the fiber — and then heating it. Softened...
Briefs: Electronics & Computers
Efficient Semiconductor Material for Thermal Management
Computer processors have continued to shrink down to nanometer sizes where there can be billions of transistors on a single chip. This phenomenon is described under Moore's Law, which...
Articles: Energy
Quantum Computing: Learning to Speak a Whole New Technology
Imagine trying to use a computer that looks and acts like no computer you've ever seen. There is no keyboard or screen. Code designed for a normal computer is useless. The...
Briefs: Aerospace
Wing Shape Design Reduces Vortex and Wake
It's common to see line-shaped clouds in the sky, known as contrails, trailing behind the engines of a jet airplane. What's not always visible is a vortex coming off of the tip of each wing — like...
Briefs: Sensors/Data Acquisition
Polymer Nanofiber-Based Reversible Nano-Switch/Sensor Schottky Diode (nanoSSSD) Device
Innovators at NASA's Glenn Research Center have developed a unique nano-structure device that operates as a nano-switch/sensor for detecting toxic gases and ultraviolet (UV) radiation. Conventional microsensors are limited by their short life, high cost and...
Briefs: Manufacturing & Prototyping
Fabricating Battery Electrodes Using 3D Printing
Additive manufacturing (3D printing) can be used to manufacture porous electrodes for lithium-ion batteries, but because of the nature of the manufacturing process, the design of these...
Briefs: Materials
3D Printing Enables Bulk Creation of Metallic Glass Alloys
Researchers have demonstrated the ability to create amorphous metal (metallic glass) alloys on large scales using 3D printing technology. Metallic glasses lack the crystalline...
Briefs: Electronics & Computers
Soft, Pliable, 3D Stretchable Electronics
By stacking and connecting layers of stretchable circuits on top of one another, soft, pliable 3D stretchable electronics were fabricated that can pack a lot of functions while staying thin and small...
5 Ws: Communications
5 Ws of Electronic Stickers
Billions of objects ranging from smartphones and buildings, to machine parts and medical devices, to furniture and office supplies — any object that has a need to communicate with or sense other...
NASA Spinoff: Manufacturing & Prototyping
3D Printer Aims to Accelerate Materials Development
Spinoff is NASA's annual publication featuring successfully commercialized NASA technology. This commercialization has contributed to the development of products and services in the fields...
Briefs: Aerospace
Insect-Inspired Drone Deforms Upon Impact
Origami manufacturing has led to considerable advances in the field of foldable structures with innovative applications in robotics, aerospace, and metamaterials; however, existing origami are either...
Briefs: Materials
Hybrid Silicone-Fabric Sensor for Wearable Robots
Wearable technologies are exploding in popularity in both the consumer and research spaces, but most of the electronic sensors that detect and transmit data from wearables are made of hard,...
Briefs: Sensors/Data Acquisition
Algorithm Enables Drones to Work in a Coordinated Approach
An algorithm was developed that enables a team of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to communicate and work toward a common goal. The tool could be used to improve security or capture images simultaneously over a large area.
Products: Sensors/Data Acquisition
Product of the Month: October 2018
SEGGER Microcontroller Systems, Gardner, MA, introduced emPack, a complete operating system for IoT devices and embedded systems. It is delivered in source code for 8-, 16-, and 32-bit...
Question of the Week: Materials
Are You Currently Using Mechanical Test Equipment to Measure Strain?
One way to measure strain and deformation in a material is through digital image correlation and non-contact sensors. Next week, in a live webinar presentation, speakers from Trilion Quality Systems and MTS Systems Corp. will review how customers have used their imaging and...
Blog: Sensors/Data Acquisition
A Closer Look at Bats, Hummingbirds Offers New Ideas for Flying Robots
White Papers: Medical
Injection Molding Considerations for Eastman MXF Compounded Products
As manufacturers look to develop plastic parts with greater chemical resistance to disinfects, molders are taking a closer look at the Eastman MXF portfolio. But how well...
Question of the Week: Medical
Can Digital-Health Apps Reliably Change Patient Behavior?
Last week on TechBriefs.com, a reader had the following question for our medical-device expert:
Podcasts: Aerospace
Here's an Idea: Asteroids
Question of the Week: Mechanical & Fluid Systems
What NASA Spin-Off Stands Out to You?
NASA technologies have led to many of the commercial products and innovative solutions we use every day, from memory foam and freeze-dried foods to exercise equipment and water purifiers. The October issue of Tech Briefs showcased a number of these NASA spinoffs.
Read the Tech Briefs feature article,...
INSIDER: Software
Students Create Computer Chip Security Fix
A tool developed by Dartmouth computer science graduate students tackles a widespread hardware hacking threat. They are coming to grips with a design flaw that ultimately falls into the province...
INSIDER: Software
Robots Can Pick Up Any Object After Inspecting It
Students at MIT’s Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL) developed Dense Object Nets (DON), a system that lets robots inspect random objects and visually...
Blog: Automotive
How Will VR and AR Impact Automotive Manufacturers?
Question of the Week: Materials
Will Paint-On coatings Become a Popular Way to Cool Down Buildings?
Our lead INSIDER story today featured a paint-on polymer that cools down buildings, through a process known as passive daytime radiative cooling.
Read the article, and let us know what you think.
This week’s Question: Will Paint-On coatings Become a Popular Way...
Blog: Green Design & Manufacturing
Want to Reduce Paper Consumption? ‘Disappearing Ink’ is No Joke
Briefs: Medical
New Noninvasive Blood Glucose Test Uses Laser Technology
An MIT-developed technology monitors blood glucose levels without needles or a finger prick. Early results show that the noninvasive technology measures blood glucose levels as...
INSIDER: Motion Control
Tiny Curiosity Motor Identifies a Massive Martian Dust Storm
An unexpected source recently identified a global Martian dust storm. The source was an actuator, or motor, that powers a lid to a funnel that takes in samples of powdered...
Blog: Aerospace
Now Deploying from the ISS: A Harpoon, A Net, and Other Ideas for Cleaning Up Space Debris
Question of the Week: Green Design & Manufacturing
Would You Use Carl Yee’s ‘Disappearing Ink?’
Our second INSIDER story today features a purposefully “lousy ink” – one that slowly fades after being printed. The gradual disappearance of the ink allows the paper to be used again and again.
Read the article, and let us know what you think.
This week's Question: Would...
Top Stories
NASA Spinoff: Energy
Nanotechnology Repairs Engine Damage in Cars
Blog: Mechanical & Fluid Systems
Researchers Prove Their Elastic Exosuit Eases Back Stress
Blog: Energy
How to Charge an Underwater Robot? A Mobile Docking Station
Videos: Aerospace
New Method for Large-Scale 3D Printing of Rocket Engines
Blog: Automotive
Is the Public Ready for a Level-4 Autonomous Vehicle?
Blog: Transportation
Question of the Week
Will Self-Erasing Chips Catch On?
Webcasts
Upcoming Webinars: Automotive
Metal Injection Molding’s Role in Automotive
Upcoming Webinars: Materials
Technical Ceramics: The Powerhouse of Advanced Materials
Upcoming Webinars: Software
PPAP Reviews Using AI and Machine Learning
Upcoming Webinars: Motion Control
Customizing Actuators Using COTS Drive Components for Martian...
Upcoming Webinars: Robotics, Automation & Control
2020 Create the Future Contest Awards
Upcoming Webinars: RF & Microwave Electronics
Advancement of Spectrum Analysis Techniques for Tracking,...
Trending Stories
Briefs: Sensors/Data Acquisition
Integrity Sensing With Smart Polymers and Rubber Components on Vehicles
Q&A: Manufacturing & Prototyping
Q&A: NanoLED Architecture Overcomes Efficiency Droop
Articles: Green Design & Manufacturing
Driving Growth and Innovation With Sustainable Design
Articles: Sensors/Data Acquisition
Deep Learning in Machine Vision
Application Briefs: Software
Using the IoT for Predictive Maintenance
Blog: Mechanical & Fluid Systems
