Ultra-Compact Camera Technology Optimized for VR/AR Devices

Researchers have developed an optical design technology that dramatically reduces the volume of cameras with a folded lens system utilizing “metasurfaces,” a next-generation nano-optical device. Read on to learn more.

A New Method Makes High-Resolution Imaging More Accessible

Researchers have made it possible to expand tissue twentyfold in a single step. This simple, inexpensive method could pave the way for nearly any biology lab to perform nanoscale imaging. Read on to learn more.

On-Chip Spectral Imaging for Earth Observation

Today, companies are building small satellite constellations with tens to hundreds of units, far exceeding the scale of traditional space operations. Read on to learn more.

Large Format Windows: From Material to Mission

Defense applications, in particular, are always tasked with the balancing act that optimizes size, weight, power, and cost (SWaP-C) efficiencies when specifying new equipment. The challenge is how to balance beneficial trade-offs for optimal performance. Read on to learn more.

How Double-Sided Polishing Can Revolutionize Optical Manufacturing

In optical manufacturing, precision polishing is vital to achieving the required flatness, surface quality, and angular precision that many applications demand. Traditionally, single-sided polishing has been the go-to method, particularly for complex components where one-sided control is critical. Read on to learn more about double-sided polishing.

Implantable Sensors for Internal Health Monitoring

The advent of implantable sensor technologies has had a transformative impact on internal health monitoring. This episode looks into the advancements that allow for continuous, real-time data collection from within the human body, revolutionizing patient care and treatment strategies.

Top 5 Tech Briefs Quizzes of 2024

Learn which of our quizzes were the most popular this year. Read on to find out which five quizzes topped our 2024 list.

Top 10 Most-Read Tech Briefs Stories of 2024

With another year of Tech Briefs almost in the books, it's time to look at our most-read articles of 2024.

My Opinion: Industrial Symbiosis Is Good for the Environment and for the Pocketbook

Efficiency can be multiplied when companies use innovative methods to cooperate with each other.

Meet MobiPrint: A Mobile 3D Printer that Can Automatically Measure a Room and Print to the Specs

University of Washington researchers have created MobiPrint, a mobile 3D printer that can automatically measure a room and print objects onto its floor. The team’s graphic interface lets users design objects for a space that the robot has mapped out.

Microrobots Swimming Autonomously in Viscous Liquids

The researchers’ groundbreaking study introduces the first toroidal, light-driven microrobot that can move autonomously in viscous liquids, such as mucus.

Navigating the Transition: Understanding RSS-102 Issue 6 Updates and Implications

Radio equipment marketed or sold into Canada must be certified with ISED Canada, the Canadian equipment authorization regulator. Radio transmitter equipment must be certified to the latest issue of Radio Standards Specifications (RSS). How well do you understand RSS-102 Issue 6 updates and its implications? Take this quiz to find out.

Helping Robots Make Good Decisions in Real Time

In 2018, Google DeepMind's AlphaZero program taught itself the games of chess, shogi, and go, using machine learning and a special algorithm to determine the best moves to win a game within a...

Magnetically Controlled Kirigami Surfaces Move Objects: No Grasping Needed

A novel device couples magnetic fields and kirigami design principles to remotely control the movement of a flexible dimpled surface, allowing it to manipulate...

Bird-Inspired Drone Can Jump for Take-Off

EPFL researchers have built a drone that can walk, hop, and jump into flight with the aid of birdlike legs, greatly expanding the range of potential environments accessible to unmanned aerial...

A Haptic Patch Can Transmit Complex Information to a Wearer’s Skin

Matthew Flavin, Ph.D., was part of a team at Northwestern University that developed a haptic patch to convey visual information to unsighted people through an array of multi-function actuators. Now, as assistant professor in the School of Electrical Engineering, he has started a new lab at the Georgia Institute of Technology to continue his work on bioelectronics.

MIT Team Takes a Major Step Toward Fully 3D-Printed Active Electronics

Active electronics — components that can control electrical signals — usually contain semiconductor devices that receive, store, and process information. These...

Researchers Demonstrate Self-Assembling Electronics

Researchers have demonstrated a new technique for self-assembling electronic devices. The proof-of-concept work was used to create diodes and transistors and paves the way for...

How the Navy Uses Off-Gassing to Detoxify Submerged Equipment

A video explaining how the U.S. Navy detoxifies non-metallic materials used in equipment and devices that are operated underwater.

Efficient, Sustainable Atmospheric Water Harvesting

Imagine being severely dehydrated and water literally appearing out of thin air. In other words: The air you breathe could quickly become the water that wets your whistle. Well, that...

The Rise of Advanced Sensor Technologies

How sensors are reshaping the landscape of medical diagnostics, enabling quicker and more accurate health assessments.

How Much Do You Know About Connecting DC Programmable Power Supplies in Series or Parallel?

There are some applications where the use of a single power supply may not be sufficient to provide the power required by the load. How much do you know about connecting DC programmable power supplies in series or parallel? Find out with this quiz.

NASA’s Inspection Technology for Spacecraft Tests Quality of Seacraft Hulls

An ultrasonic technology for inspecting the heat shield on NASA’s Orion spacecraft is now being used for evaluating seacraft hulls made with advanced composite materials.

5Ws of the EgoTouch

EgoTouch, a new tool developed by researchers in CMU’s Human-Computer Interaction Institute, could put control for AR/VR environments in the palm of your hand.

3 Energy Technologies that Will Power Your Interest

Watch this video to learn more about three new energy technologies. One is from Rice University; one is from Université Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble, France and University of San Diego, CA; and the last one is from Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology (Empa).