A New Carbon Material Sets Energy-Storage Record, Likely to Advance Supercapacitors

Guided by machine learning, chemists at the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory designed a record-setting carbonaceous supercapacitor...

An Electrifying Improvement in Copper Conductivity

A common carbon compound is enabling remarkable performance enhancements when mixed in just the right proportion with copper to make electrical wires. It’s a phenomenon that defies...

Tiny Power Converters Run on Vibrational Energy

Scientists at the University of California San Diego and CEA-Leti have developed a ground-breaking piezoelectric-based DC-DC converter that unifies all power switches onto a single chip to...

Products of Tomorrow

See the products of tomorrow, including: a new wireless smart textile technology that can boost hand mobility of stroke patients, a metal-free magnetic gel, and a new fuel cell that harvests energy from microbes living in dirt.

The Rising Presence of Women in Engineering

In the U.S., women make up 14 percent of the engineering workforce. The number of female engineers across the globe is on the rise but compared to male engineers it is still much lower.

Women in Aerospace: 7 Questions with Slingshot’s Audrey Schaffer

What are the challenges for women in aerospace and what more can be done to increase the number of women in the STEM workforce? Tech Briefs interviewed Audrey Schaffer, Vice President of Strategy and Policy, Slingshot Aerospace, who has made significant strides in the aerospace industry.

Quantum Leap in Material Science

Significant progress in industry, especially in manufacturing and material science, is expected to be driven by quantum computing. Using sophisticated simulations and optimization techniques, the technology promises to accelerate the discovery of new substances and improve production procedures.

A Better Link for Enabling Intelligent Automation

IO-Link is a digital advancement combining the essential electrical and electronic characteristics of other connectivity methods. The resulting devices and architecture are enabling designers to create more intelligent equipment, streamline installation, and reduce overall costs.

First Transformable Nanoscale Electronic Devices

The nanoscale electronic parts in devices like smartphones are solid, static objects that once designed and built cannot transform into anything else. But a team from University of California Irvine has reported the discovery of nanoscale devices that can transform into many different shapes and sizes even though they exist in solid states.

A Thermoelectric Cooler to Restore Sensation in Amputees

This advancement, one of the first of its kind, enables a useful new capability for a variety of applications, including improved prostheses, haptics for new modalities in augmented reality (AR), and thermally modulated therapeutics for applications such as pain management. The technology also has a variety of potential industrial and research applications.

Making Conductive, Biodegradable Wires from Designed Proteins

The miniscule wires — the size of transistors on silicon chips or one thousandth of the breadth of the finest human hair — are made completely of natural amino acids and heme molecules, found in proteins such as hemoglobin, which transports oxygen in red blood cells.

Wireless Electronic ‘Stickers’ Gauge Forces Between Touching Objects

Engineers at the University of California San Diego have developed electronic “stickers” that measure the force exerted by one object upon another. The force stickers are wireless, run without batteries and fit in tight spaces. That makes them versatile for a wide range of applications.

Light-Harnessing Sensors Give Hope to Limited-Mobility Patients

A research team has successfully overcome the limitations of soft strain sensors by integrating computer vision technology into optical sensors. The team developed a sensor technology known as computer vision-based optical strain (CVOS) during its study. Unlike conventional sensors reliant on electrical signals, CVOS sensors employ computer vision and optical sensors to analyze microscale optical patterns, extracting data regarding changes.

Wireless, Battery-Free, Biodegradable Blood Flow Sensor

Monitoring the success of surgery on blood vessels is challenging, as the first sign of trouble often comes too late. A new device could make it easier for doctors to monitor the success of blood vessel surgery.

Wearable Health Sensor for Monitoring Muscle Atrophy

Researchers at The Ohio State University have fabricated the first wearable sensor designed to detect and monitor muscle atrophy. This new study published in the journal IEEE Transactions on Biomedical Engineering suggests that an electromagnetic sensor made out of conductive “e-threads” could be used as an alternative to frequent monitoring using MRI.

Methods for Predicting Transonic Flutter Using Simple Data Models

NASA’s Ames Research Center has developed a novel closed-form solution to model wing flutter aerodynamics for any aircraft wing (within a certain thickness regime and without camber). This closed-form solution can be readily extended to wing sections with camber.

Next-Generation Radar for the F-35 Lightning II

Northrop Grumman Corporation is developing AN/APG-85, an advanced Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar for the F-35 Lightning II.

Lunar Landing Pads

Engineers at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center and Sidus Space developed a novel interlocking paver system enabling the robotic construction of high-stability vertical takeoff and landing pads.

AI Co-Pilot Enhances Human Precision for Safer Aviation

Meet Air-Guardian: A system developed by researchers at the MIT Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL). As modern pilots grapple with an onslaught of information from multiple monitors, especially during critical moments, Air-Guardian acts as a proactive co-pilot; a partnership between human and machine, rooted in understanding attention.

Miniscule Robots of Metal and Plastic

A technique enables manufacturing of minuscule robots by interlocking multiple materials in a complex way.

A Soft Robotic Hand Uses AI to Improve Hand Dexterity

A first-of-its-kind robotic glove is lending a “hand” and providing hope to piano players who have suffered a disabling stroke. Developed by researchers from Florida Atlantic University’s College of Engineering and Computer Science, the soft robotic hand exoskeleton uses artificial intelligence to improve hand dexterity.

Circumferential Scissor Spring Enhances Precision in Hand Controllers

Innovators at NASA’s Johnson Space Center have designed a circumferential scissor spring mechanism, that when incorporated into a hand controller, improves the restorative force to a control stick’s neutral position. The design also provides for operation on a more linear portion of the spring’s force deflection curve, yielding better feedback to the user.

Scurrying Centipedes Inspire Many-Legged Robots

Intrigued to see if many limbs could be helpful for locomotion in this world, a team at the Georgia Institute of Technology is using a centipede's style of movement to its advantage. They developed a new theory of multilegged locomotion and created many-legged robotic models.

Generative AI Models Solve Multistep Robot Manipulation Problems

MIT researchers developed a machine-learning technique called Diffusion-CCSP. Diffusion models learn to generate new data samples that resemble samples in a training dataset by iteratively refining their output.

Additive Manufacturing Model-Based Process Metrics

Inventors at the NASA Langley Research Center have developed a novel method to model and ingest point-wise process data to evaluate an additive manufacturing build and its file for issues by highlighting potential anomalies or other areas where the build may have issues with fusion of the material.

Amateur Drone Videos Could Aid Natural Disaster Damage Assessment

By using artificial intelligence, researchers are developing a system that can automatically identify buildings after disasters and make an initial determination of whether they are damaged and how serious that damage might be.

PockEngine Enables AI on Edge Devices to Keep Learning Over Time

Researchers from MIT, the MIT-IBM Watson AI Lab, and elsewhere have developed a technique that enables deep-learning models to efficiently adapt to new sensor data directly on an edge device. Their on-device training method, Pock-Engine, determines which parts of a huge machine-learning model need to be updated to improve accuracy, and only stores and computes with those specific pieces.

New on the Market

See what's new on the market, including igus' two- and four-hole fixed flange bearings; FixtureBuilder 3D fixture-modelling software from Renishaw; XENON Corporation's X-1100/2x Pulsed Light Research System; Rad Source NDT's NDT 1000 X-ray Inspection System; and more.

Product of the Month

See the product of the month: 2Pi Optics' high-resolution fisheye sensor based on optical metalens technology.

Readers Select 2023 Products of the Year

See the products of the year: The Talaria TWO Module Ultra-Low Power Wi-Fi optimized solution for cloud-connected IP video IoT devices by InnoPhase IoT; Hexagon's Elements, simulation software to better understand the increasingly complex behavior of systems in modern products; and Nexa3D's highest throughput additive production system, the QLS 820.

Rapidly Printing with Liquid Metal

MIT researchers say their technique, liquid metal printing (LMP), is at least 10 times faster than a comparable metal additive manufacturing process. It involves depositing molten aluminum along a predefined path into a bed of tiny glass beads.

5Ws of the Light Sail

A light sail developed by Cornell’s Space Systems Design Studio (SSDS) could one day propel small spacecraft through interstellar realms.

Additive Manufacturing Subtracts from Rocket Build Time

Additive manufacturing is allowing NASA to deliver payload services and launch services at a better price point.

A Hack to Trick Automotive Radar

The technology can hide the approach of an existing car, create a phantom car where none exists, or even trick the radar into thinking a real car has quickly deviated from its actual course. Plus, it can do these things in the blink of an eye without having any prior knowledge about the specific settings.

Roboticists Develop Robots for Resilient Extraterrestrial Habitats

Justin Werfel, Senior Research Fellow in Robotics at the Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS), is leading a team tasked with developing...

A Self-Driving Needle Steers Through Living Lung Tissue

The lungs are one of the most difficult organs for physicians to navigate. They have a dense network of blood vessels, bronchi, and other critical anatomical structures that makes...

Researchers Explore the Phenomenon of Holonomy

BB-8 of Star Wars fame is known for its adorable beeps, dome-shaped head, and spherical body. But fighting alongside the Resistance is just one of its many talents. As this spherical robot...

How Much Do You Know About Counter UAS Technology?

Development of new Counter UAS technologies is expanding across the global Aerospace and Defense industry. Test your knowledge of counter UAS technology with this quiz.

Fast-Charging Li Battery Could Make ‘Range Anxiety’ a Thing of the Past

A team at Cornell University created a new lithium battery that can charge in under five minutes — faster than any such battery on the market — while maintaining stable performance over extended cycles of charging and discharging.

Using AI to Identify Poison Ivy

To find poison ivy before it finds you, University of Florida scientists published a new study in which they use artificial intelligence (AI) to confirm that an app can identify poison ivy.

The Path to Net-Zero with Green Propane

A promising technology in green energy capable of converting carbon dioxide into propane is being developed at Illinois Institute of Technology.

How Much Do You Know About Stand-Alone Power Supplies?

A stand-alone power supply has many uses. It can be part of the standard equipment on a test bench or built into a larger system. It can be simple or quite complex, but some version can be seen anywhere electrical/electronic equipment is being built or tested. Test your knowledge with this quiz.

3D Ice Printing Artificial Blood Vessels

New research shows the possibility of using 3D ice printing to help create structures that resemble blood vessels in the body. 3D ice printing generally involves adding a stream of water to a very cold surface.

Medium Voltage for More Efficient Power Transmission

Prasad Kandula and a group of scientists and engineers at Oak Ridge National Laboratory are developing a modular medium-voltage system to fill the existing gap between high-voltage transmission and low-voltage power electronics.

Tesla Valve-Inspired Design Could Improve the Performance of Rotating Detonation Engines

Purdue University researchers are testing a patented Tesla valve-inspired injection manifold design that could improve the performance of rotating detonation engines (RDEs).

5 Trailblazing Women Astronauts in Space

Only 11 percent of astronauts so far have been women. Who were the early space trailblazers? Which women astronauts broke the gender barriers and paved the way for others to follow? Take this quiz to find out.

My Opinion: Renewables' Weak Link — Transmission Lines

The electrification of practically everything these days calls for much more attention to be paid to the transmission system — the electric power grid.

Dragonfly Wings Used to Study Motion

Scientists from Hiroshima University undertook a study of dragonfly wings in order to better understand the relationship between a corrugated wing structure and vortex motions. They discovered that...

How To Shift Gears in a Molecular Motor

Scientists have long strived to develop artificial molecular motors that can convert energy into directed motion. Researchers at Linköping University have now presented a solution to a challenging...

Squishy, Metal-Free Magnets Power Robots and Guide Medical Implants

“Soft robots,” medical devices and implants, and next-generation drug delivery methods could soon be guided with magnetism — thanks to a metal-free magnetic gel...

Using AI to Track Professional Hockey Players

Researchers from the University of Waterloo used artificial intelligence (AI) tools to help capture and analyze data from NHL games faster and more accurately than ever before; the work has big implications for the business of sports.

Structurally Healable, Highly Conductive New Cathode for Solid-State Lithium-Sulfur Batteries

Engineers at the University of California San Diego have developed a new cathode material for solid-state lithium-sulfur batteries that is electrically conductive and structurally healable — features that overcome the limitations of these batteries’ current cathodes.

Restoring Sight to Euclid's Visible Instrument System

A newly devised procedure to de-ice Euclid's optics has performed significantly better than hoped. Light coming in to the visible ‘VIS’ instrument from distant stars was gradually...

Processing Trillions of Images Per Second

Achieving speed records is not just for athletes. Researchers can also achieve this kind of feat thanks to their discoveries. This is the case of professor at the National Institute of Scientific...

Researchers Claim Lowest Ever Microwave Noise on a Integrated Photonic Chip

In a new Nature study, Columbia Engineering researchers have built a photonic chip that is able to produce high-quality, ultra-low-noise microwave signals using...

Coherent Establishes 6-inch InP Wafer Fabrication Capability

Coherent has established what the company describes as the "world's first capability for 6-inch indium phosphide (InP) wafer fabrication." The compound semiconductor and...

How Much Do You Know About Materials?

Materials science has led to breakthroughs in medicine, renewable energy, and nanotechnology, with the potential for other revolutionary applications. How much do you know about materials science? Find out with this quiz.