Metal-Free, Recyclable Polypeptide Battery Degrades on Demand

The new battery is degradable, recyclable, non-toxic, and safer than lithium-ion batteries.

Wireless, Wearable Transmitter

The wearable antenna bends, stretches, and compresses without compromising function.

Rechargeable Cement-Based Batteries

An entire 20-story concrete building could store energy like a giant battery.

Technology Enables Digital Communication Through Touch

The technology would enable transmission of information just by touching a surface.

Wearable Sensors Detect Gas Leaks

The ultra-compact, wearable hologram sensor immediately notifies the user of volatile gas detection.

Say Goodbye to the Dots and Dashes to Enhance Optical Storage Media

To modernize optical storage, Purdue researchers are replacing Morse code with colored “digital characters.”

Engineering the Flow of Light

A novel nanostructure produces uniquely shaped light.

Product of the Month: September 2021 Tech Briefs

The SHT40 Smart Gadget comes with a humidity and temperature sensor.

Optimizing 5G Fiber Optic Filament Production

Ball screws are helping manufacturers meet the growing demand for fiber optic cables generated by 5G communications.

A Sharper Look at the Interior of Semiconductors

A new imaging method allows researchers to see inside complex semiconductors, without destroying them.

Image Sticking — Cause, Test and Solutions

Learn how to fix one of the more annoying problems in display imaging.

New Electron Microscopy Technique Offers First Look at Previously Hidden Processes

Northwestern researchers have developed a new microscopy method that allows scientists to see the building blocks of “smart” materials.

Hybrid Membrane Doubles the Lifetime of Rechargeable Batteries

The membrane prevents dendrite formation, at least doubling the lifetime of a lithium-metal battery.

New Products: September 2021 Battery Technology

Lithium batteries, compartment gaskets, chargers, and more.

Cloud-Connected, Battery-Based IoT Devices Last Years Longer

Demand for wireless IoT cloud-connected devices is growing rapidly, yet deploying Wi-Fi battery-based products is difficult.

3D-Printed Biodegradable Battery

The battery can withstand thousands of charge and discharge cycles and years of storage before being composted.

An Immersive Solution for Thermally Safer EV Batteries

An R&D project indirectly leads to potentially greater power density, EV range, and battery life.

Sustainable Aluminum-Anode Batteries

The rechargeable batteries could be a safer and more environmentally friendly alternative to lithium-ion batteries.

Inflatable Robotic Hand Gives Amputees Real-Time Tactile Control

Engineers at MIT and Shanghai Jiao Tong University have designed a soft, lightweight, and potentially low-cost neuroprosthetic hand. The prosthetic, designed with a system...

Robotic Floats Measure Primary Factor in Climate Picture: Oxygen in the Ocean

Robotic floats — 4,000, in fact — are in the ocean, monitoring oxygen levels.

On Tough Terrain, An Algorithm Finds Robots the Best Path

A new algorithm finds robots the best path across uneven terrain — and the best placement for a robot’s arms and feet.

How to Turn 'Stubborn' Metals into Thin Films

Researchers from the University of Minnesota discovered a way to convert "stubborn" metals like platinum and tungsten into thin films.

Touch-Sensing Glove Feels the Pressure

A new pressure-sensor from MIT detects small and fast changes in pressure at the fingertip, such as from lightly rubbing fingers together.

2021 Motion Control Product Directory

Explore manufacturers and products in over 25 motion-design categories.

Brain-Inspired Highly Scalable Neuromorphic Hardware

Researchers from Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) fabricated brain-inspired highly scalable neuromorphic hardware by co-integrating single transistor neurons...

Using Silicone Wristbands to Measure Air Quality

A study by researchers at the Texas A&M University School of Public Health shows that inexpensive and convenient devices such as silicone wristbands can be used to yield quantitative...