Harnessing the Power of Satellites to Diagnose Damaged Infrastructure

Researchers at Texas A&M University are working on a new method of infrastructure monitoring using Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) remote sensing systems. SAR allows researchers to inspect and characterize pavements, retaining walls, and embankments from space and can help determine if there are flaws that should be further inspected for repair, saving valuable time. Read on to learn more.

Deployed Electromagnetic Radiation Deflector Shield

Want to create a zone of minimum radiation and magnetic/plasma effects for spacecraft? Then read on to find out how!

“Living Bioelectronics” That Can Sense and Heal Skin

A team has created a prototype for what it calls “living bioelectronics” — a combination of living cells, gel, and electronics that can integrate with living tissue. The patches are made of sensors, bacterial cells, and a gel made from starch and gelatin. Tests in mice found that the devices could continuously monitor and improve psoriasis-like symptoms, without irritating skin. Read on to learn more.

Fabricating High-Temperature Superconducting Wires for Future Energy Generation

Researchers have fabricated the world’s highest-performing HTS wire segment while making the price-performance metric significantly more favorable. Read on to learn more.

Integrating Fragile 2D Materials into Devices

Researchers from MIT and elsewhere have developed a new technique to integrate 2D materials into devices in a single step while keeping the surfaces of the materials and the resulting interfaces pristine and free from defects. Read on to learn more.

Designing Next-Generation Carbon Dioxide Removal Technology for Better Life in Space

Engineers at NASA used modeling and simulation with experimental testing to analyze the next generation of compressor designs that get the job done more quietly, with fewer maintenance needs, and at lower fabrication cost. Read on to learn more.

Artificial Intelligence and Industrial Robotics: Far Beyond the Hype

Accelerating progress in AI is redefining what is possible with industrial robotics, enhancing everything from robots’ ability to grip, pick and place as well as their ability to map and navigate through dynamic environments. Read on to learn more about what this means.

How AI Impacts an Industrial Machinery Manufacturer’s Design Process

Artificial intelligence will be a key tool going forward in achieving results, offering the ability to more rapidly design, prototype, and implement changes and solutions through superior data analytics abilities and improved human-machine interactions. Read on to learn more.

The Future of AI for Aerospace Manufacturing

All aerospace industry sectors have embraced artificial intelligence and machine learning to improve practical and urgent concerns. AI has become fundamental in the management of safety, part design, inspection processes, maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO), and fuel efficiency. Read on to learn more about it.

Designing and Testing the Optics for NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope

When it launches no later than May 2027, the NASA Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope will serve as a powerful eye on deep space, capturing images of billions of distant galaxies and exploring the mysteries of dark matter, supernovae and other cosmic phenomena. Read on to learn about what it takes to make it a success.

Photonic Processor Could Enable Ultrafast AI Computations

Scientists from MIT and elsewhere have demonstrated a fully integrated photonic processor that can perform all the key computations of a deep neural network optically on a chip. Read on to learn more about it.

New Products

See the new products, including TRIOPTICS' compact and retrofittable solution for processing laser diodes on the ATS 100 alignment turning station; TRUMPF's VCSELs and photodiodes; Edmund Optics’ TECHSPEC® UV Fused Silica Plano-Convex (PCX) Lenses MgF2 Coated feature precision specifications; Imperx' two new Cheetah cameras: the CXP-C1941 and the SFP-C1941; and more.

Researchers Develop a Wide-Bandwidth, Low-Polarization Semiconductor Optical Amplifier

Researchers have successfully developed a wide-bandwidth, low-polarization semiconductor optical amplifier based on tensile-strained quantum wells. The study, published in the journal Sensors, presents a significant advancement in optical communication technology, addressing the growing demand for higher bandwidth and lower polarization sensitivity. Read on to learn more.

A Methodology to Read QR Codes on Uneven Surfaces

A team from the University of Barcelona and the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya has designed a methodology that facilitates the recognition of QR codes in these physical environments, where reading is more complicated. Read on to learn more.

Spiral Ladder-Inspired Tool That Allows Precision Control of Light Direction and Polarization

Researchers have designed a spiral ladder-inspired tool that allows precision control of light direction and polarization to control the direction of the emitted beam and the polarization of the light, while using a precisely engineered resonance of the structure. Read on to learn more.

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.