Articles: Energy
2021 Create the Future Design Contest: Sustainable Technologies/Future Energy Category Winner — Multifunctional Bionanocomposite Fruit Coatings
The invention could capture the potential of the edible packaging market.
Articles: Manufacturing & Prototyping
2021 Create the Future Design Contest Grand Prize Winner: Self Destructing Plastics via Embedded Enzymes
Once triggered, the enzyme-embedded plastics self-destruct, completely degrading and eliminating microplastics in days.
UpFront: Materials
UpFront: November 2021 Tech Briefs
How to be a NASA intern; a new ideas for moon fabrics; and NASA's need for a better rover.
Articles: Electronics & Computers
2021 Create the Future Design Contest: Electronics/Sensors/IoT Category Winner — Freetouch
Freetouch turns a smartphone into a touchscreen remote control.
Articles: RF & Microwave Electronics
Products of Tomorrow: November 2021
Nanotube fibers that turn heat to power; a NASA antenna system; and an antimicrobial coating.
Briefs: Photonics/Optics
New “Metalens” Shifts Focus Without Tilting or Moving
The design may enable miniature zoom lenses for drones, cellphones, or night-vision goggles.
Briefs: Energy
Nanoscale Machines Convert Light into Work
The optically powered machines self-assemble and could be used for nanoscale manipulation of tiny cargo.
Products: Electronics & Computers
Product of the Month: November 2021 Tech Briefs
Dinkle International offers universal interface modules for connecting equipment signals to I/O modules.
Briefs: Sensors/Data Acquisition
Unique Amplifier Could Change Optical Communication
Researchers at Chalmers University of Technology have developed an optical amplifier that they expect will revolutionize both space and fiber communication.
Briefs: Imaging
Let’s Get Small: New Argonne Method Greatly Improves X-Ray Nanotomography Resolution
Scientists are working to improve the image resolution of X-ray techniques.
Briefs: Test & Measurement
Making Measurements with a Fine-Toothed Comb
The comb detects even the smallest amounts of greenhouse gases in the air or look for disease in human breath.
Special Reports: RF & Microwave Electronics
Rugged Computing & Electronics - November 2021

From the battlefield to the oceans to the extremes of space, electronics and computing advances enable missions in the harshest conditions. To help you keep pace with the latest developments, we...

Blog: Transportation
Are In-Wheel Motor Systems Catching On?
One EV design is bring power out toward the wheel. But is the design here to stay? A Tech Briefs reader asks an expert at SAE.
Articles: Sensors/Data Acquisition
2021 Supplier Guide: Sensors
See leading manufacturers in a variety of sensor topic areas, including radar and encoders.
Blog: Robotics, Automation & Control
Four-Legged 'Swarm' Robots Traverse Tough Terrain — Together
Forget puzzles — In the early days of quarantine, Notre Dame professor and robotics engineer Yasemin Ozkan-Aydin used the time at home to put together robots.
INSIDER: Software
Army Enables Robots to Learn New Concepts

Future Army missions will have autonomous agents, such as robots, embedded in human teams making decisions in the physical world. One major challenge toward this goal is maintaining performance...

White Papers: Research Lab
Control Under Pressure

Biomedical and life science applications depend on precise, repeatable liquid handling. Pressure-controlled liquid dispensing systems provide a simple, quick and cost-effective way to dose nanoliter- to...

Question of the Week: Design
Will Coatings Reduce Food Waste?

Today’s lead story highlighted an egg-based coating that extends the shelf life of fruits and vegetables.

White Papers: Electronics & Computers
Get the Inside Story on Customized Sensor Solutions from Wells Engineered Products

Wells Engineered Products provides both off-the-shelf and customized precision engine management and power control products for a wide variety of vehicle...

White Papers: Transportation
Measuring Color in Automotive Interiors

While the exterior of the car may be the first thing you see, the interior of the vehicle is where your driving experience starts. The interior design and color of a car is central to the consumer's...

Blog: Materials
A New Use for Leftover Eggs: Preserving Produce
A micron-thick coating, made largely from leftover eggs, can extend the shelf life of the fruits and vegetables in your refrigerator.
Blog: Imaging
When to Go With Battery X-Ray Inspection
Tech Briefs readers ask two industry experts about the effectiveness of CT scans when you want a deeper look at a battery.
Question of the Week: Energy
Will We Use Solar to Power Our Devices Indoors?

Solar or photovoltaic (PV) cells fixed to roofs convert sunlight into electricity. An October Tech Brief highlighted a spin on this traditional idea of solar.

Blog: Energy
Create the Future 2021: A Universal E-Kit Provides Power Boost to Non-Motorized Vehicles
Christopher Borroni-Bird and his team want to make an "e-kit" that provides a boost to wheelbarrows, bikes, and other non-motorized vehicles.
Blog: Manufacturing & Prototyping
When to Expect a Hydrogen Fuel Cell Truck
Long-haul trucking may be the best candidate for hydrogen power. An industry expert tells us when we can expect more hydrogen fuel cells on the highway.
White Papers: Automotive
Process Control Significantly Reduces Cycle Time and Delivery Delays for Automotive Parts Manufacturer

Officine Meccaniche (OMG) manufactures high-tech mechanical parts and subassemblies for cars, vans, trucks, and tractors. Its extensive...

White Papers: Test & Measurement
Testing Windshield Glass to Ensure High-Quality Head-up Displays

Automotive head-up displays (HUD) project virtual images onto the windshield that are visualized through the glass at a perceived distance of several meters. This enables...

Question of the Week: Green Design & Manufacturing
Will Technology Help to Reduce Plastic Pollution?

Our October Q&A in Tech Briefs highlighted an achievement from Professor Aaron Sadow of Ames Laboratory in Iowa. Sadow’s chemical process produces valuable biodegradable chemicals from discarded plastics, which are then used as surfactants and detergents in a range of applications.

White Papers: Manufacturing & Prototyping
Orchestrating Automotive Product Development and Operations

Technological progress is accompanied by change. Organizations must adapt both product development and operational workflows. Having process models, at the level of detail to allow...

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Webcasts

On-Demand Webinars: Robotics, Automation & Control

Modeling Inverse Kinematics: Improving Actuation Control in Industrial Robots

Upcoming Webinars: Materials

Full-Field Optical Strain Measurement Systems for Materials and...

Upcoming Webinars: AR/AI

Advances in Unmanned Aircraft: AI and Autonomy – Threats,...

Upcoming Webinars: Photonics/Optics

When Milliseconds Count: The Impact of Adaptive Lidar on...

Upcoming Webinars: Defense

Sensors Rated for Cryogenic Measurements

Upcoming Webinars: Medical

Product Development Lifecycle Management: Optimizing Quality,...

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Products: Photonics/Optics

Product of the Month: LED Light Engines for Large FOV Fluorescence Imaging...

: Robotics, Automation & Control

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