Articles: Robotics, Automation & Control
Electric Motors vs. Fluid Power: Robotic System Designers Have a Choice
Robotic system designers should choose the right power source for the job. Often, electric motors are chosen without thinking about the benefits of hydraulics or...
Application Briefs: Robotics, Automation & Control
Lead Screws Used in Diamond Analyzer
Traditionally, once they are shaped, but before they are mounted, diamonds are rated by the “4 Cs” — clarity, color, carat, and cut. Modern gemology, however, grades finished diamonds by a more...
Application Briefs: Robotics, Automation & Control
Scales Work as Part of Thermonuclear Ignition Target Assembly
Scheduled for completion in 2009, the National Ignition Facility Project (NIF), part of Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL, Livermore, CA), is a component of the...
Products: Robotics, Automation & Control
Linear-Type Stepper Motor
Nippon Pulse America (Radford, VA) released the Captive LINEARSTEP Series Linear-Type Stepper Motor, a RoHS-compliant, linear-type stepper motor with a one-piece captive shaft. The linear shaft movement is...
Products: Robotics, Automation & Control
Ring Tachometer
Madison Electric Products (Mentor, OH) offers the C-face ring tachometer that monitors motor shaft RPM when using NEMA C-face, metric flanged, or faced motors. The device is designed with a dual C-face mount to fit between the motor and gearbox, break, or clutch, and has a slim-line profile. Features include single and quadrature...
Products: Robotics, Automation & Control
Planetary Gearheads
Boston Gear (Quincy, MA) released Helical Planetary Precision Gearheads for direct attachment to servo and stepper motors. All exposed gearhead parts are composed of stainless steel. Housings are available in anodized...
Products: Robotics, Automation & Control
Multiple Position Slide
From PHD (Fort Wayne, IN), the Series SMF Multiple Position Slide allows for a switch to be mounted at any point along the slide’s travel. Multiple intermediate stopping positions are available, and a stainless...
Products: Robotics, Automation & Control
Stepper Motor Controller
Prior Scientific (Rockland, MA) introduced the PriorPCI2 High Speed Stepper Motor Controller, featuring a 175 × 106 mm design; standard six-axis control for XY, focus, and three filter wheels; shutter...
Products: Robotics, Automation & Control
Voice Coil Stage
From PI L.P. (Auburn, MA), the V-106 QuickScan™ series of PCI-card-driven, high-speed voice coil positioning stages provides resolution to 100 nanometers. The unit features cross-roller bearings, scanning frequency of...
Products: Robotics, Automation & Control
Controller ICs
Fairchild Semiconductor (South Portland, ME) released critical conduction mode (CRM) power factor correction controller (PFC) integrated circuits (ICs), the FAN7529 and FAN7530. Both units use a variable on-time control method...
Products: Robotics, Automation & Control
Rotary Encoder ICs
Austriamicrosystems (Unterpremstaetten, Austria) released the AS5030 and AS5130, two 8-bit absolute magnetic rotary encoder integrated circuits (ICs) with pushbutton and low-power-mode features. Both units provide an angle...
Products: Robotics, Automation & Control
Digital to Synchro Converters
Computer Conversions Corp. (East Northport, NY) introduced a series of Digital to Synchro Converters with 14-, 12-, or 10-bit resolution that can provide up to 25 VA and are designed to drive torque receivers...
Products: Robotics, Automation & Control
Brush-Commutated Gearmotors
AMETEK Technical & Industrial Products (Kent, OH) released a line of PITTMAN® brush-commutated DC gearmotors that provides output torque up to 175 oz-in with standard sintered steel spur gearing and output...
Products: Robotics, Automation & Control
Aluminum-Housed Step Motor
Danaher Motion (Wood Dale, IL) introduced the CT Series Step Motors, which use less power to provide more torque, augmenting operating efficiency and machine throughput. Standard and custom motors are available in...
Products: Robotics, Automation & Control
Non-Contact Magnetic Encoder
Avago Technologies (San Jose, CA) released the AEAT-60xx series of non-contact magnetic encoders. Coming in a cylindrical package (23 mm in both diameter and height), the unit is for industrial applications. It...
Products: Robotics, Automation & Control
Timing Belts
BRECOflex Co., LLC (Eatontown, NJ) introduced the Standard Plus Technology line of BRECOFLEX Truly Endless timing belts for high-precision positioning applications using bifilar cable arrangements. The product features lessened...
Products: Robotics, Automation & Control
Paver Bearing
Emerson Power Transmission (Ithaca, NY) released Sealmaster® paver bearings for applications dealing with abrasive paving conditions and asphalt materials. A four-barrier seal protects the product’s inner components from...
Products: Robotics, Automation & Control
Commutated Motor
From Maxon Motors (Fall River, MA), the EC-max 16 2-wire brushless motor features ironless winding, and its turns are detent-free. The commutation electronics are integrated, and allow direct control with an operating...
Products: Robotics, Automation & Control
Compact Linear Actuator
The LCB Series from Parker Hannifin Corp. (Cleveland, OH) is a line of compact linear actuators featuring a low-friction, dry running, sliding bearing carriage. An external sliding guide, with dry-film lubricant, is...
Products: Robotics, Automation & Control
Motorized Linear Stage
Zaber Technologies (Richmond, BC, Canada) released the T-LSR series of computer-controlled, motorized linear stages, which travel up to 300 mm and have a resolution down to 0.25 μm. The device can handle loads up to...
Products: Robotics, Automation & Control
EtherCAT Servo Drive
Copley Controls (Canton, MA) offers two open-standard, EtherCAT-compatible Accelnet servo drives that deliver 18A and 36A peak, respectively. The drives are designed for centralized control of multi-axis automation or...
Products: Robotics, Automation & Control
Rotary Magnetic Encoders
The ED Series of rotary magnetic encoders from Measurement Specialties (Hampton, VA) provides a platform for optical encoder and potentiometer replacement. The encoders use encapsulated (potted) electronics,...
Products: Robotics, Automation & Control
Motion Control Integrated Circuits
Performance Motion Devices (Lincoln, MA) offers the Magellan™ family of motion control integrated circuits (ICs) with 7-segment s-curve profile generation. Available in 1-, 2-, 3-, and 4-axis versions,...
Products: Robotics, Automation & Control
Position-Control Hinges
Southco (Concordville, PA) has introduced CEMA E6 constant-torque position-control hinges for applications such as industrial and electronics enclosures, contoured headrests for automotive and airplane seats, and LCD...
Products: Robotics, Automation & Control
Planetary Gear Motors
Source Engineering (Santa Clara, CA) has introduced planetary brush and brushless gearmotors for OEM applications requiring high torque and speed reduction. They are available in ratios from 3:1 to 3729:1. The 22-mm to...
Products: Robotics, Automation & Control
Heavy-Duty Encoder
Heidenhain (Schaumburg, IL) offers the Leine & Linde heavy-duty incremental Model 862 encoder that is resistant to high vibration and shock, and is electrically insulated up to 2.5 kV. The severe-duty encoders are...
Techs for License
27MHz Embedded Antenna for RF Mouse
Tiny antenna with huge capabilities. Advanced, patented antenna technology easily embedded into a wide range of products including wireless mouse, RF keyboard, gamepads, etc. It allows packing high performance and reliability into a small package and higher gain achieved through Leaky Wave optimization.
Techs for License
Embedded Antenna for Cellular Phones
900/ 1800/ 1900/ 2200 MHz & Bluetooth. Advanced, patented antenna technology for high-performance cellular phones. This miniaturized antenna is designed for embedding into mobile telephones to provide maximum reception and reliability. It allows packing high performance and reliability into a tiny package...
Techs for License
Non-Damaging Cell Wall Defrosting Method and Apparatus
A defrosting technology was developed to protect cell walls and the quality of frozen products during defrosting. Potential applications include the medical and pharmaceutical industries, cosmetic materials, and foods. The system seldom breaks cell walls because of its quick temperature...
Techs for License
Cargo Drop Air Delivery System
The ADCA aerial delivery system reduces cargo loading time, is safe for fragile cargo, and allows loading and unloading to be performed by one person (no special training required). The drop container is designed with a tubular frame, padding materials, a shock-absorbing cushion, and side and bottom air bags to...
Articles: Imaging
Creating Geospatial Content with Photogrammetry Software
Over the last decade, the unprecedented population growth rates throughout much of the world and the subsequent need for information to support and manage that growth has put more...
Articles: Imaging
Vision-Guided Robotics: Robots That See and Reason
Robots are used in a wide variety of industries for a broad range of applications, from automotive, foundry, and general industry to material handling, packaging, and palletizing. With...
Application Briefs: Imaging
Automakers Use Thermal Vision Systems for Flawless Coatings
Automotive production plants continually face two common problems in the application of coatings: imperfect coverage and contaminants. Thermal vision systems provide a solution.
Application Briefs: Imaging
Infrared Night Vision Expands What Drivers Can “See”
The U.S. military has employed infrared vision technology for years. But it has only been the past several years that thermal imaging, or infrared, technology has been made commonly...
Products: Imaging
Handheld 3D Laser Camera
Creaform, Quebec, Canada, offers the Handyscan 3D self-positioning, handheld 3D laser camera that allows for real-time 3D rendering visualization of scanned data. Resulting STL files can be exported directly in any...
Products: Imaging
Video Converter Boards
The PRISMA II series of RGB/DVI/video converter boards from Apollo Display Technologies, Ronkonkoma, NY, provides analog control for connecting TFT LCDs to standard graphics and/or video interfaces. Input...
Products: Imaging
GigE CCD Vision Camera
The GE680 CCD vision camera from Prosilica, Vancouver, Canada, runs 200-plus frames per second at VGA resolution and up to 1,500 frames per second when using a 25 × 25 region of interest. The camera’s Gigabit...
Products: Imaging
Thermography Camera
The VarioCAM® thermography camera from JENOPTIK Laser, Jena, Germany, features an image resolution up to 1.2 megapixels and is designed for applications in scientific and industrial research and development....
Products: Imaging
High-Definition Robotic Camera
Sony Electronics, Park Ridge, NJ, has introduced the EVI-HD1 high-definition EVI robotic camera, a single-chip-based, pan/tilt/zoom camera with multi-format capabilities to output both standard and...
Products: Imaging
PCI Express Frame Grabbers
American ELTEC, Las Vegas, NV, has introduced a series of five PCI Express frame grabbers with single-lane interface (×1). The PC_EYE®/MONO frame grabber is designed for industrial image processing in...
Products: Imaging
X-Ray Imaging Camera
Rad-icon Imaging Corp., Santa Clara, CA, has introduced the Shad-o-BoxTM HS high-sensitivity, high-speed x-ray camera with 12-bit digital interface for direct connection to a frame grabber. The camera operates...
Products: Imaging
High-Speed Video Camera
Photron, San Diego, CA, offers the Fastcam SA-1 high-speed camera with 5,000 full megapixel resolution frames per second. It uses CMOS sensor technology for slow-motion video imaging with true 12-bit resolution and...
ALGOR, Inc., Pittsburgh, PA, has released ALGOR V20, an integrated CAD/finite element analysis (FEA) modeling environment for working with imported CAD models or building original...
Application Briefs: Electronics & Computers
Multi-Bit-Rate Switcher Is Part of High-Definition Upgrade at NASA
FOR-A
Waltham, MA
714-867-3311
www.for-a.com
NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) in Greenbelt, MD,...
Application Briefs: Imaging
Clustered Storage System Enables Image Geoprocessing of Earth’s Surface
Isilon Systems
Seattle, WA
206-315-7500
www.isilon.com
NASA World Wind is an open-source, virtual globe...
Articles: Sensors/Data Acquisition
NASA Announces 2006 Invention of the Year
A team from Langley Research Center in Hampton, VA, has been awarded the 2006 NASA Government Invention of the Year for an actuator and sensor system that is more durable than a piezoelectric system,...
Articles: Sensors/Data Acquisition
The Power of Data Acquisition Technology Convergence
Modern digital technology and a little imagination have led to today’s most popular devices, like the MP3 player — a tiny digital music player that you can carry in your shirt pocket,...
Articles: Manufacturing & Prototyping
2006 Product of the Year Awards and Design Contest Winners
The 2006 NASA Tech Briefs (NTB) and Photonics Tech Briefs (PTB) Readers’ Choice Product of the Year Awards were presented recently by the editors of NTB and PTB at an awards dinner...
Articles: Software
The 3D Product Development Triple Play
President & Chief Executive Officer
VISTAGY, Inc.
Waltham, MA
Today, every company is searching for a sustainable competitive advantage, and getting great...
Briefs: Electronics & Computers
High-Accuracy, High-Dynamic-Range Phase-Measurement System
A digital phase meter has been designed to satisfy stringent requirements for measuring differences between phases of radiofrequency (RF) subcarrier signals modulated onto laser beams involved in the operation of a planned space-borne gravitational- wave-detecting heterodyne laser...
Briefs: Electronics & Computers
Multi-Antenna Radar Systems for Doppler Rain Measurements
Use of multiple-antenna radar systems aboard moving high-altitude platforms has been proposed for measuring rainfall. The platforms contemplated in the proposal would be primarily spacecraft, but, in principle, the proposal could also apply to aircraft. The problem of measuring rainfall...
Briefs: Mechanical & Fluid Systems
Simple, Compact, Safe Impact Tester
An apparatus has been designed and built for testing the effects, on moderatesized objects, of cushioned decelerations having magnitudes ranging up to several hundred g [where g = normal Earth...
Briefs: Test & Measurement
600-GHz Electronically Tunable Vector Measurement System
A compact, high-dynamic-range, electronically tunable vector measurement system that operates in the frequency range from ≈560 to ≈635 GHz has been developed as a prototype of...
Briefs: Electronics & Computers
Modular Architecture for the Measurement of Space Radiation
A modular architecture has been conceived for the design of radiation-monitoring instruments used aboard spacecraft and in planetary-exploration settings. This architecture reflects...
Briefs: Electronics & Computers
Smart Data Node in the Sky
A document discusses the physical and engineering principles affecting the design of the Smart Data Node in the Sky (SDNITS) — a proposed Earthorbiting satellite for relaying scientific data from other Earth-orbiting satellites to one or more ground station(s). The basic concept of the SDNITS is similar to that of...
Briefs: Mechanical & Fluid Systems
Pseudo-Waypoint Guidance for Proximity Spacecraft Maneuvers
A paper describes algorithms for guidance and control (G&C) of a spacecraft maneuvering near a planet, moon, asteroid, comet, or other small astronomical body. The algorithms were developed following a model- predictive-control approach along with a convexification of the governing...
Briefs: Mechanical & Fluid Systems
Update on Controlling Herds of Cooperative Robots
A document presents further information on the subject matter of “Controlling Herds of Cooperative Robots” (NPO-40723), NASA Tech Briefs, Vol. 30, No. 4 (April 2006), page 81. To recapitulate: A methodology for controlling a herd of cooperative and autonomous mobile robots exploring the...
Briefs: Mechanical & Fluid Systems
Simulation and Testing of Maneuvering of a Planetary Rover
A report discusses the development of a computational model of a Mars Explorer Rover maneuvering across terrain under varying conditions. The model is used to increase understanding of the rover dynamics. Increased understanding is helpful in planning further tests and in extending the...
Briefs: Semiconductors & ICs
Improved On-Chip Measurement of Delay in an FPGA or ASIC
An improved design has been devised for on-chip-circuitry for measuring the delay through a chain of combinational logic elements in a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) or...
Briefs: Electronics & Computers
VLSI Design of a Turbo Decoder
A very-large-scale- integrated-circuit (VLSI) turbo decoder has been designed to serve as a compact, high-throughput, low-power, lightweight decoder core of a receiver in a data-communication system. In a...
Briefs: Electronics & Computers
Architecture of an Autonomous Radio Receiver
A program to develop an autonomous radio receiver compatible with a variety of digital communication schemes is underway. The proposed receiver, to be implemented largely in software, would...
Briefs: Software
Resource Selection and Ranking
Surfer is an extensible framework for selecting and ranking grid resources. A resource is defined as anything that needs selecting such as compute resources, storage resources, and data resources. The user specifies the set of resource types desired, the constraints that must hold over all the resources, and the...
Briefs: Software
Accident/Mishap Investigation System
InvestigationOrganizer (IO) is a Webbased collaborative information system that integrates the generic functionality of a database, a document repository, a semantic hypermedia browser, and a rulebased inference system with specialized modeling and visualization functionality to support accident/mishap...
Briefs: Medical
Simplified Identification of mRNA or DNA in Whole Cells
A recently invented method of detecting a selected messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) or deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) sequence offers two important advantages over prior such methods: it is simpler and can be implemented by means of compact equipment. The simplification and miniaturization...
Briefs: Medical
Printed Multi-Turn Loop Antennas for RF Biotelemetry
Printed multi-turn loop antennas have been designed for contactless powering of, and reception of radio signals transmitted by, surgically implantable biotelemetric sensor units operating...
Briefs: Mechanical & Fluid Systems
Retaining Rings for Industrial Fastening Applications
A discussion of retaining rings inevitably must begin with a debunking of myths; namely, that one style of retaining ring will function better than all other types in all instances. No...
Briefs: Materials
Glass/BNNT Composite for Sealing Solid Oxide Fuel Cells
A material consisting of a barium calcium aluminosilicate glass reinforced with 4 weight percent of boron nitride nanotubes (BNNTs) has shown promise for use as a sealant in planar...
Briefs: Materials
Improved Single-Source Precursors for Solar-Cell Absorbers
Improved single-source precursor compounds have been invented for use in spray chemical vapor deposition (spray CVD) of chalcopyrite semiconductor absorber layers of thin-film solar...
Briefs: Materials
Spray CVD for Making Solar-Cell Absorber Layers
Spray chemical vapor deposition (spray CVD) processes of a special type have been investigated for use in making CuInS2 absorber layers of thin-film solar photovoltaic cells from...
Briefs: Materials
Making Ternary Quantum Dots From Single-Source Precursors
A process has been devised for making ternary (specifically, CuInS2) nanocrystals for use as quantum dots (QDs) in a contemplated next generation of high-efficiency solar...
Briefs: Manufacturing & Prototyping
A Method of Assembling Compact Coherent Fiber-Optic Bundles
A method of assembling coherent fiber-optic bundles in which all the fibers are packed together as closely as possible is undergoing development. The method is based...
Briefs: Manufacturing & Prototyping
Manufacturing Diamond Under Very High Pressure
A process for manufacturing bulk diamond has been made practical by the invention of the High Pressure and Temperature Apparatus capable of applying the combination of very high temperature and high pressure needed to melt carbon in a sufficiently large volume. The rate of growth achievable in this...
Briefs: Physical Sciences
Compact Fuel-Cell System Would Consume Neat Methanol
In a proposed direct methanol fuel-cell electric-power-generating system, the fuel-cells would consume neat methanol, in contradistinction to the dilute aqueous methanol solutions consumed...
Briefs: Physical Sciences
Ring-Resonator/Sol-Gel Interferometric Immunosensor
A proposed biosensing system would be based on a combination of (1) a sensing volume containing antibodies immobilized in a sol-gel matrix and (2) an optical interferometer having a ring...
Briefs: Information Technology
Algorithm Would Enable Robots to Solve Problems Creatively
A control architecture and algorithms to implement the architecture have been conceived to enable a robot to learn from its experiences and to combine knowledge gained from prior experiences in such a way as to be able to solve new problems. The architecture is an abstraction of an...
Briefs: Information Technology
Hypothetical Scenario Generator for Fault-Tolerant Diagnosis
The Hypothetical Scenario Generator for Fault-tolerant Diagnostics (HSG) is an algorithm being developed in conjunction with other components of artificial- intelligence systems for automated diagnosis and prognosis of faults in spacecraft, aircraft, and other complex engineering...
Who's Who: Imaging
Dr. Richard Boyle, Director, BioVIS Technology Center
Medical imaging technology has led to quicker diagnoses of conditions that, when caught early, can be treated. However, because such devices are large, they are impractical in the...
Tech Needs
Delivery System for Controlled Release of Actives
A technology is sought that will enable delivery of active cleaning compositions triggered at a specific time/place by a large range of conditions. The solution must be environmentally safe, must function at a pH range between seven and 11 and temperatures between 5 and 80°C, be compatible for...
Tech Needs
Remote Cloud-Height and Visibility Sensing
A small, low-power automatic sensor technology is needed to determine the cloud coverage, cloud ceiling height between 3,000 to 20,000 feet, and visibility up to at least five miles. These measurements must be provided in day and night conditions. The devices need to be small for easy placement at...
Blog
Green Bricks
Researchers from Freight Pipeline Company (FPC) taking part in a National Science Foundation (NSF)-sponsored project have found that bricks made from fly ash -- fine ash particles captured as waste by coal-fired power plants -- may be even safer than predicted. Instead of leaching minute amounts of mercury as earlier predicted, the...
Blog
Technology Business Brief
This modulator was developed to provide circuitry and apparatus that create specialized optical signals suitable for use as a digital photonic clock, a pulse amplitude modulator, and a bi-stable optical memory cell.
More information here.
Blog
Current Attractions
This monthly review lets you "meet" the new advertisers appearing in Defense Tech Briefs (DTB). Here's a sneak peek at the products, services, and offers available from June's first-time advertisers.
Alpha Security Group is a publicly traded company that seeks to acquire a homeland security or defense business. Contact...
Blog
Cell Phone Sensors
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is researching the use of cell phones equipped with sensors that could detect biological agents such as anthrax, as well as radioactive isotopes and toxic chemicals. Since fixed sensors can't be placed everywhere, the solution could soon be in everyone's hands.
Gentag, a...
Blog
Technologies of the Week
The Magtorque sensor provides a simple, low-cost means to monitor torque on rotating elements. It uses a small and magnetoelastic sensor attached to the shaft that is monitored remotely via an inductive pickup. It provides sensitive and repeatable measurements of applied torque without direct physical contact.
...
Blog
Sensor Spinoff
Beneath the waves near Key Largo, FL, an underwater lab called Aquarius provides a safe harbor for scientists to live and work for weeks at a time. For NASA, Aquarius provides an environment that is analogous to the International Space Station (ISS) and the space shuttle. To maintain Aquarius, NASA recruited Invocon of Conroe, TX,...
Blog
Navy Remote Sensing
A partnership between NASA and the U.S. Naval Academy is offering students the chance to build a satellite called "MidSTAR-2" through a U.S. Department of Defense program that will carry four experiments into space in 2011 to look at different parts of Earth's atmosphere, gamma rays, and solar winds. Scientists at NASA's...
INSIDER: Electronics & Computers
Visualization Tools Aid Multi-core Development
Multi-core processing is a "disruptive technology", transforming the way embedded systems are architected, developed, and debugged. With greatly improved performance and lower power, multi-core...
INSIDER: Electronics & Computers
Secure Partitioning Safeguards Real-time Performance
High performance multi-core processors are providing opportunities to consolidate multiple applications into a single system. However, embedded applications often have real-time requirements that cannot be put in jeopardy by other software clamoring for the same system resources such as CPU...
INSIDER: Electronics & Computers
SMP vs. AMP: How Homogenous Is Your Embedded System?
Multiprocessing system architectures come in all shapes and sizes, so it is dangerous to make any generalizations. But perhaps there's agreement that most systems can be classified as either symmetric multiprocessing (SMP) or asymmetric multiprocessing (AMP).
Blog
NASA News
On June 5, NASA's MErcury Surface, Space ENvironment, GEochemistry, and Ranging (MESSENGER) spacecraft flew past Venus just 338 km above the planet's surface and shot a laser into the clouds. Although MESSENGER is on a mission to Mercury, the spacecraft must pass by Venus for a gravity assist en route. In passing, researchers hope to...
Blog
Tech Needs of the Week
A cost-efficient anti-graffiti coating solution is needed for application to flexible PVC film. The coating should add a flexible transparent layer with specific properties: scratch & UV resistant, stable physical behavior between -30 degrees and 90 degrees Celsius, and resistant to solvents and alcohols used for...
Blog
Current Attractions
ALGOR V20 from ALGOR, Inc. (Pittsburgh, PA) has been named NTB's Product of the Month for June. An integrated CAD/finite element analysis (FEA) modeling environment for working with imported CAD models or building original models, the new release features design scenarios that let a single FEA model contain numerous analyses;...
Blog
Climate Modeling
A new Web-enhanced version of the most commonly used climate modeling system, TeraGrid, will allow many more scientists to test theories about the Earth's climate. Called the Community Climate System Model (CCSM), the new version is actually a collection of interconnected modeling systems. CCSM contains separate climate models...
Blog
Monitoring Darfur
Amnesty International USA is using powerful satellite cameras to monitor highly vulnerable villages in war-torn Darfur -- the first-ever technological capability by human rights defenders to track possible targets of attack, prevent new atrocities, and save lives.
Unlike other online projects which only document previous...
Blog
Technology Business Briefs
The secure time stamps include an externally generated time signal.
More information here.
Blog
Current Attractions
Medical imaging technology has led to quicker diagnoses of conditions that, when caught early, can be treated. Because such devices are large, however, they are impractical in the limited area of a space vehicle. An on-going NASA project to address the issue involves image fusion, where in-orbit ultrasounds would be combined...
Blog
Hurricane Simulator
Wind engineers at the University of Florida (UF) have developed the world's largest portable hurricane wind and rain simulator. UF engineers plan to use the machine to blast vacant homes with Category 3 hurricane winds of up to 130 mph, and high-pressure water jets that mimic wind-driven torrential rain. The goal is to learn...
Blog
Techologies of the Week
Square leaflet mechanical heart valves allow efficient blood flow with low shear stress because there are no obstructions in the path of blood flow. This patented innovation in mechanical heart valve design is simple, cost-effective, and substantially improves existing mechanical heart valve designs. Rectangular leaflets...
Blog
Current Attractions
Each month, NTB highlights tech briefs related to a particular area of technology in a special section called Technology Focus. Here are some of the technologies featured in the June issue focus on Test & Measurement.
Multi-Antenna Radar System for Doppler Rain Measurements
A team at NASA's Jet Propulsion...
Blog
Cancer Research Prize
A group of New York investors will award $1 million a year to the person with the best idea in cancer research, and will share the idea worldwide. The Gotham Prize encourages novel thinking in cancer research and will be selected by a panel of scientists from Harvard University, Johns Hopkins University, and the Cancer...
Blog
Biocomputers
Researchers at Harvard University and Princeton University have made a crucial step toward building biological computers, tiny implantable devices that can monitor the activities and characteristics of human cells. The information provided by these devices -- constructed entirely of DNA, RNA, and proteins -- could eventually...
Blog
Tech Needs of the Week
A method is needed that allows for the visual detection of the presence of pathogenic bacteria or microbes on human hands. The method must be safe and preferably performed in one action. The solution must be small in size and possibly disposable. Click here to respond to this Tech Need.
Blog
Donor Algorithm
Computer scientists at Carnegie Mellon University have developed an algorithm that could significantly boost the efficiency of kidney exchanges, a mechanism for matching live donors with unrelated recipients.
The algorithm makes it possible to create matches for three- and four-way exchanges -- that is, three or four...
Blog
Peptide Reference Material
The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has issued its first-ever reference material designed to improve the performance and reliability of experiments to measure the masses and concentrations of peptides in biomolecular samples. The new reference material is expected to be an important tool in the...
Blog
Wireless Power Transfer
A team from MIT has demonstrated wireless power transfer, which would enable cell phones, MP3 players, laptops, and other portable electronics to charge themselves without being plugged in. Some of these devices may not even need their batteries to operate.
The team was able to light a 60W light bulb from a power...
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Technology Business Briefs
This technology dislodges and removes microscopic particles from substrates quickly and efficiently, which is necessary for the manufacture of electronics and all forms of work at the microscopic scale. Click here for more info.
Blog
Current Attractions
In August of 2005, Hurricane Katrina hit the U.S. Gulf Coast and became one of the largest natural disasters in the history of the United States. It resulted in more than 1,800 deaths and more than $150 billion in damages. Katrina's storm surge measured up to 30 feet along the Mississippi coast, with winds at 127 miles per...
Blog
Virtual Patient
Researchers from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute are using a $2 million grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to develop a physics-based virtual model that can simulate a patientÃs breathing in real time. When used in conjunction with existing 3D models, adding the fourth dimension of time could improve the...
Blog
Techs of the Week
A surface contamination detection system enables accurate, automated, in-line inspection of metallic and composite panels prior to bonding, coating, painting, or welding. The technology is transferable to any application where surface contamination of metal or composite panels is undesirable, necessitating the need for...
Blog
Nano 50 Winners Announced
Nanotech Briefs® magazine has announced the winners of the third annual Nano 50™ Awards, which recognize the top 50 technologies, products, and innovators that have significantly impacted -- or are expected to impact -- the state of the art in nanotechnology. The winners of the Nano 50 awards are the "best of...
Blog
Test & Measurement Webinar
You've got one day left to sign up for NASA Tech Briefs' FREE webinar, Benefits of PXI Express for Next-Generation Testing, sponsored by Geotest-Marvin Test Systems, tomorrow, June 20, at 2:00 pm EST.
Learn the capabilities, benefits, and features of PXI Express as a platform for next-generation test systems and...
Blog
Crowd or Mob?
What are the patterns of human behavior and movement in crowded cities that turn agitated crowds into anti-social mobs? This question, as well as the ability to configure civic areas as defensible spaces, are addressed by an immersive 3D computational model under development by Paul M. Torrens, a geographer at Arizona State...
Blog
Facing the Challenge
The recently released results of the Face Recognition Grand Challenge (FRGC), sponsored by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), indicate that the best face-recognition algorithms perform more accurately than most humans. The FRGC was open to researchers and developers in industry, academia, and research...
Blog
Hot CAD/CAE Products
Dassault Systemes (Paris, France) offers Version 5 Release 17 of its DELMIA Robotics software that defines and simulates flexible manufacturing devices such as multi-wrist robotic arms. The software offers tooling definition, workcell layout, robot programming, and workcell simulation capabilities. Engineers can plan,...
Blog
NASA Tech Briefs Free Webinar
On June 27, 2007, NASA Tech Briefs will present a FREE webinar on "Virtual Testing at the CAD Stage with Simulation Software," sponsored by Noran Engineering.
In order to successfully compete in the global marketplace, your product design process needs to be the best in its class, delivering innovative...
Blog
Crops "Talk" to Farmers
A University of Colorado at Boulder invention optioned to AgriHouse, a Colorado-based company, may soon enable corn and potato crops to "talk" to farmers about when they need water and how much they need. A tiny sensor clips on to plant leaves and charts their thickness, a key measure of water deficiency and accompanying...
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Tech Needs of the Week
A technology is sought to indicate that a product packed into a rigid metal container has not been tampered with and/or degraded over time. The solution must incorporate a method of communicating this information to the packager, retailer, or consumer. The container may be subjected to a thermal treatment for some canned...
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Self-Healing Material
Researchers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign have developed the next generation of self-healing material that mimics human skin by healing itself time after time. The new materials rely on embedded, three-dimensional microvascular networks that emulate biological circulatory systems.
Said Nancy...
Blog
Guessing Robots
Engineers at Purdue University are developing robots able to make "educated guesses" about what lies ahead as they traverse unfamiliar surroundings, reducing the amount of time it takes to successfully navigate those environments. The method uses a new software algorithm that lets a robot create partial maps as it travels through...
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Heat Stress Risk
Purdue University researchers project a 200 to 500 percent increase in the number of dangerously hot days in the Mediterranean by the end of the 21st century if the current rate of greenhouse gas emissions continues. The study found that France would be subjected to the largest increase of high-temperature extremes. The study...
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Technology Business Briefs
Fluorescent Nanodiamonds
Glowing nanodiamonds can be tracked as they move through the body and can reveal the inner workings of cells. Firing a high-energy electron beam through diamonds 100 nanometers wide produces permanent defects in their crystal structure that makes them glow under laser light. These...
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Glaucoma Treatment
A nanoparticle made at the University of Central Florida shows promise as a drug delivery device for treating glaucoma, an eye disease that can cause blindness and affects millions of people worldwide. The nanoparticle can safely get past the blood-brain barrier making it an effective, non-toxic tool for drug delivery,...
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Coming Attractions
This monthly review lets you "meet" the new advertisers appearing in NTB and its supplements. Here's a sneak peek at the products, services, and offers available from July's first-time advertisers.
Accuratus Ceramic Corp. (Phillipsburg, NJ) offers Accuflect™ light-reflecting ceramic for high-energy flashlamp-driven...
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Free CAD/CAE Webinar
You've got one day left to sign up for NASA Tech Briefs' FREE webinar, Virtual Testing at the CAD Stage with Simulation Software, sponsored by Noran Engineering. The live event takes place tomorrow, June 27, at 2:00 PM EST.
In order to successfully compete in the global marketplace, your product design process needs...
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NASA News
NASA recently tested the first nanotechnology- based electronic device to fly in space. The test showed that the Nano ChemSensor Unit could monitor trace gases inside a spaceship. This technology could lead to smaller, more capable environmental monitors and smoke detectors in future crew habitats.
Blog
Techs of the Week
A portfolio of technologies applies mid-infrared spectroscopy to the analysis of fluids, including blood, serum, and other biological fluids. Tests are non-destructive and the techniques require no reagents or other chemicals. The spectroscopic signatures obtained from the samples can be used to aid the diagnosis of disease,...
Blog
Desktop Supercomputer
A prototype of what may be the next generation of personal computers has been developed by researchers at the University of Maryland. The system is capable of computing speeds 100 times faster than current desktops and is based on parallel processing on a single chip, an approach that allows the computer to perform...
Blog
Tech Needs of the Week
New and/or advanced curing technologies are needed to incorporate into a metal packaging protective coating and decoration process. Systems could be used in metal containers for aerosols, beverages, food products and specialty packaging, all of which require external and/or internal protective coatings. Click here to...
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NASA News
NASA has released its CLARAty (Coupled-Layer Architecture for Robotic Autonomy) robotic software for public downloading. CLARAty is an integrated framework for reusable robotic software that defines interfaces for common robotic capabilities such as pose estimation, navigation, locomotion, and planning. In addition to supporting...
Blog
Information Storage Break- through
Brown University researchers have devised a way to control both the size and composition of iron-platinum nanorods and nanowires. Nanorods with uniform shape and magnetic alignment are one key to the next generation of high-density information storage, but have been difficult to make in bulk.
The...
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