Special Reports: Electronics & Computers
RF & Microwave Electronics - April 2020
In this compendium of recent articles from the editors of Aerospace & Defense Technology and Tech Briefs, read about how advances in RF electronics are enabling new applications in space and ground...
Briefs: Robotics, Automation & Control
Algorithm Helps Swarming Robots Avoid Collisions
Briefs: Robotics, Automation & Control
Square Structural Joint with Robotic Assembly Tool
Briefs: Electronics & Computers
Multifunctional Structure Stabilizes and Rotates Satellites
Products: Imaging
Product of the Month: April 2020 Tech Briefs
Briefs: Motion Control
Mechanical Controller for Robot-Assisted Surgery
Robot-assisted surgery has advanced dramatically over the past decade in almost every surgical sub-specialty. Robot-assisted surgery is usually performed using surgical robot systems that...
Articles: Manufacturing & Prototyping
Resolution, Accuracy, and Precision of Encoders
Briefs: Motion Control
Optical Gyroscope-on-a-Chip
Articles: Manufacturing & Prototyping
Dynamic Force Control and Advanced Electropneumatic Positioning Systems in Automation
Briefs: Mechanical & Fluid Systems
Guiding and Harnessing Transition Waves in Multi-Stable Mechanical Structures
Articles: Internet of Things
Reimagining Robotics in a Connected World
Products: Motion Control
New Products: April 2020 Motion Design
Briefs: Manufacturing & Prototyping
Machine Learning Software for 3D Printing
Facility Focus: Semiconductors & ICs
Facility Focus: California Institute of Technology
Briefs: Information Technology
Streaming Software Speeds Apps
Briefs: Sensors/Data Acquisition
Seeing Around Corners to Detect Object Shapes
Articles: Sensors/Data Acquisition
Seeing with Sound Next-Level Ultrasonic Sensors for Intelligent Cars
Even though ultrasound has been studied by scientists for many years, its capabilities in practical applications are yet to be fully harnessed.
Briefs: Energy
Relaxor Piezoelectric Single-Crystal Multilayer Stacks for Energy Harvesting Transducers (RPSEHT)
Briefs: Materials
Additive Manufacturing Method for Sub-Microscale Three-Dimensional Structures
Products: Lighting
New on the Market: April 2020
Briefs: Communications
Laser Radio Transmitter
Q&A: Energy
Q&A: Simple Solar-Powered Desalination
Briefs: RF & Microwave Electronics
RFID-Based System Enables Internet of Things
Articles: Photonics/Optics
Products of Tomorrow: April 2020
Briefs: Electronics & Computers
Coating Extends Lithium Metal Battery Life
Briefs: Wearables
Device Harvests Energy from Low-Frequency Vibrations
Briefs: Automotive
Machine Learning Algorithm Identifies Objects Using Microwaves
Articles: Manufacturing & Prototyping
Choose Surface Treatments Early to Avoid Future Problems
Briefs: Materials
Material Combination Strengthens Body Armor
Briefs: Manufacturing & Prototyping
High-Area Rapid 3D Printing
Briefs: Materials
Powder Particles for Corrosion Prevention in Rebar
Briefs: Materials
Double-Sided Tape Rapidly Seals Tissues Together
Briefs: Electronics & Computers
Soft, Flexible Materials with Enhanced Properties
Briefs: Manufacturing & Prototyping
Method for Electrospinning Customizable Nanofibers
Briefs: Manufacturing & Prototyping
PLCs Directly Access Internet Information
Briefs: Energy
Producing Cadmium Telluride Material for Solar Cells
Briefs: Transportation
Maximizing Safety in Advanced Battery Systems
Briefs: Materials
High Thermally Conductive Polymeric Composites
Briefs: Mechanical & Fluid Systems
Model Predicts Breaking Point of Conducting Material
Briefs: Materials
Terahertz Imaging System Uses Small, Efficient Lasers
NASA Spinoff: Test & Measurement
Detailed Spectrometry Makes Dangerous-Materials Testing Safer
Briefs: Transportation
High-Reliability Radio Frequency MEMS Switch
Briefs: Electronics & Computers
Using Sound and Light for Ultrafast Data Transfer
5 Ws: Manufacturing & Prototyping
5 Ws of the 3D Skin Printer
Briefs: Electronics & Computers
Ultra-Low-Power WiFi Radio Enables IoT Devices
Briefs: Manufacturing & Prototyping
3D Printing Process Produces Highly Porous Glass Objects
Blog: Robotics, Automation & Control
Medical Robots' Role Expands as COVID-19 Outbreak Continues
Robots are in high demand as medical professionals seek hands-free ways to disinfect environments and contain the spread of coronavirus and COVID-19.
On-Demand Webinars: Manufacturing & Prototyping
From Drudgery to the Effective Use of Design and Process FMEAs
In many industries, FMEAs are considered drudgery, contributing little – if anything – to valuable technical knowledge of the product design and development process, as well as to process design and continual improvement, while chewing up resources and time in...
White Papers: Photonics/Optics
Automated Solutions for Head-Up Display Measurement
Head-up display (HUD) technology is one of the largest growth areas in the automotive market, and standard measurement criteria are rapidly being defined to ensure HUD visual performance...
On-Demand Webinars: Manufacturing & Prototyping
Heavy-Duty Engine Design for a Transitioning Market
An uncertain regulatory climate. Augmenting with electrification. The potential for automated and partially automated vehicle operation. All these trends are affecting the way engine developers are approaching near-term engine design and development cycles. What are the most significant...
INSIDER: Robotics, Automation & Control
Foldable Robots for Future Moon Mission
The newest edition of NASA's small, foldable robots successfully traversed rugged terrain in the Mars Yard at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California.
INSIDER: Electronics & Computers
Ultra-Low Power Chip for IoT Wi-Fi
More portable, fully wireless smart home setups; lower power wearables; batteryless smart devices, could all be made possible with this new ultra-low power Wi-Fi radio. It is housed in a chip smaller...
INSIDER: Nanotechnology
New Etching Technique Produces Far Smaller Semiconductors
Microelectronics like semiconductor devices are at the heart of the technologies we use each day. As we move into an era where we are stretching the limits of Moore’s Law, it is...
INSIDER: Nanotechnology
Atomic Chains in Nanotubes Push the Electronics Frontier
Wearable tech and electronic cloth may be the way of the future, but to get there the wiring needs to be strong, flexible, and efficient.
INSIDER: Electronics & Computers
Stretchy Electronics for Next Generation Smart Devices
A new manufacturing process could produce flexible electronics for things like virtual reality-enabled contact lenses, solar-powered skins that mold to the contours of your car, and...
Question of the Week: Automotive
Is Anonymization the Best Way to Protect Personal Data?
A Tech Briefs reader recently asked our industry expert:
Blog: Manufacturing & Prototyping
UC Berkeley Launches 'Pop-Up' COVID-19 Testing Lab — In 3 Weeks
In just three weeks, the Innovative Genomics Institute (IGI) at UC Berkeley built a robotic COVID-19 laboratory.
White Papers: Medical
How to Define a ‘Medical-Grade’ Material
Every plastic has a unique combination of chemical properties, surface structure, biocompatibility, color, and mechanics. Learn which plastics are "medical-grade,” and see what characteristics...
Question of the Week: Manufacturing & Prototyping
Have You Cloud-Connected Your Equipment and Processes on the Shop Floor?
Our April Motion Design feature article highlights how manufacturers are reimagining robotics in a connected world, employing processes like real-time analytics, predictive maintenance, online support and diagnostics, and cloud backups.
On-Demand Webinars: Photonics/Optics
High-Powered Directed Energy Laser Projects: Destroy the Target, Not Everything Else
Applying the stable and repeatable characteristics of lasers to high-powered directed energy applications has ushered in a new era of efficient weapons for the military. The development of these weapons comes with challenges that users of high-powered...
White Papers: Data Acquisition
Engineer’s Guide to the Digitization of Analog Signals
Learn about the most common technologies for digitizing analog signals for digital logging and processing, and understand the variables that impact the quality and consistency of an...
Blog: Test & Measurement
'mRIXS' Offers Deeper Look into Battery Chemistry
Question of the Week: Manufacturing & Prototyping
Can Solar-Powered Desalination Solve Water-Scarcity Challenges?
“Seawater is a very abundant resource for clean water, but the problem is how to desalinate it,” MIT researcher Lenan Zhang told Tech Briefs in our April issue.
Blog: Transportation
Super-Porous Material Gives Hydrogen-Powered Vehicles a Boost
On-Demand Webinars: Photonics/Optics
Optical Coating Design
Most precision optics, whether used in scientific, medical, industrial, or military applications, incorporate some type of thin film coating to enhance their capabilities. This Webinar from the editors of Tech Briefs Media delves into some of the more popular types of coatings, what they do, and how they're...
Blog: Software
A Faster Way to Design Rockets: Scientific Machine Learning
Tech Talks: Materials
What to Know: Forming Thin Metal Parts
Metal parts are part of almost every electronic, rocket, and medical device. The parts need to be reliably precise in order for the application to work successfully. This Tech Talk examines the best practices of forming a photochemically etched metal component.
On-Demand Webinars: Manufacturing & Prototyping
Rapid Decompression and Sealed Containers: Why Choose Magnet Valves?
When transporting sealed containers by air, protecting against rapid decompression is a constant concern. Traditionally, spring-actuated valves have been used to address this design challenge. Magnet-actuated valves are a relatively new technology that provide distinct...
INSIDER: Medical
Student-Developed Emergency Ventilator Treats COVID-19 Patients
ApolloBVM – an open-source emergency ventilator developed by Rice University students – could help COVID-19 patients who are less-critically ill while they await...
Blog: Test & Measurement
Biosensor to Measure Coronavirus Concentration in Air
Question of the Week: Robotics, Automation & Control
Will 'Metal-Air Scavengers' Power Vehicles and Robots?
Penn Engineering researchers have introduced a "metal-air scavenger" vehicle, which gets energy not from a battery, but from breaking chemical bonds in the aluminum surface it travels over. The technology, which works like both a battery and an energy harvester, has 13 times more energy...
On-Demand Webinars: Motion Control
Advantages of Smart Servo Steppers vs. Smart Brushless Servos
For years the difference between brushless servos and step motors was understood. That has all been blurred with servo vector control of step motors and the growing popularity of smart motors. Understanding these technologies is key to selecting the best product for specific...
Blog: Sensors/Data Acquisition
Mars 2020: Looking for Signs of Life in the Jezero Crater River Delta
On-Demand Webinars: Manufacturing & Prototyping
Large Cable, Large Problems: Considerations for Innovation
Government emission standards have led to the rapid projected growth of EVs, HEVs, and PHEVs, which in turn is leading to the rapid increase in use of large gauge wires and cables. Harness manufacturers must take care to ensure quality connections in the harsh environments where...
On-Demand Webinars: Robotics, Automation & Control
Collaborative Robots: Are They as Safe as They Sound?
Collaborative robots are the fastest growing segment in industrial robotics – for good reason. They’re flexible, easy to program, and when compared to their “older generation” industrial counterparts, far safer and less expensive, as well as faster to deploy. But those who use...
Top Stories
Blog: Unmanned Systems

Experts Weigh In: How Will a Robotic Future Impact Nature?
INSIDER: Photonics/Optics

Orbiting Instrument Hints That Stored Magnetic Energy Heats Solar...
Podcasts: Sensors/Data Acquisition

Videos: Test & Measurement

Test System Could Enable Reduced Helicopter Vibration
Blog: Automotive

CES 2021: How COVID-19 Turned the Car into a Personal 'Second Space'
Videos: Automotive

Question of the Week
Has the Vehicle Become Your “Second Space?”
Webcasts
Upcoming Webinars: Automotive
Reducing the Cost of Quality in Automotive BiW
Upcoming Webinars: Automotive
Electric-Vehicle Transmission Development Priorities
Upcoming Webinars: Sensors/Data Acquisition
The Critical Role of Fiber Optic Temperature Sensors in Medical...
Upcoming Webinars: Manufacturing & Prototyping
Zinc Die Casting Concepts to Achieve Precision, Performance, and...
Upcoming Webinars: Test & Measurement
Radar Measurements: Triggering, Analysis, and Generation
Upcoming Webinars: Materials
Trending Stories
INSIDER: Imaging

Orbiting Instrument Hints That Stored Magnetic Energy Heats Solar Atmosphere
INSIDER: Electronics & Computers

Combining Electronic, Photonic Chips Enables Super-Fast Quantum Light Detection
Application Briefs: Robotics, Automation & Control
Motion Solutions for Electric Expansion Valves
Articles: Manufacturing & Prototyping

Special Section: The Winners of the 2020 'Create the Future' Design Contest
Briefs: Energy

Solid-State Technology Enables Smaller, Safer Batteries
Briefs: Manufacturing & Prototyping

Double-Vacuum-Bag Process for Making Resin-Matrix Composites