Briefs: Materials

Pearl-Like Coating Enhances Lightweight Armor

By mimicking the outer coating of pearls (nacre or mother of pearl), researchers created a lightweight plastic that is 14 times stronger and eight times lighter (less dense) than steel. It could...

Briefs: Sensors/Data Acquisition

Wind Event Warning System

NASA Langley Research Center developed a wind event warning technology that provides a practical early warning system (5-10 minutes) for a severe change in the wind vector. Events such as gusts, shear, microbursts,...

Briefs: Materials

Simulating Softness for Haptic Interfaces

Researchers have developed a formula that enables them to recreate different levels of perceived softness. Based on the results from their experiments, they created equations that can calculate how...

Briefs: Wearables

Printed Electronics for Electrified Tattoos and Personalized Biosensors

A fully print-in-place technique for electronics could enable technologies such as high-adhesion, embedded electronic tattoos and bandages with patient-specific...

Articles: Mechanical & Fluid Systems

2019 'Create the Future' Automotive/Transportation Category Winner: A Standalone AC Battery

A prototype of the AC 'Biode' battery has been developed at 20W.

Articles: Electronics & Computers

Products of Tomorrow: November 2019

This column presents technologies that have applications in commercial areas, possibly creating the products of tomorrow. To learn more about each technology, see the contact information provided for that...

Briefs: Robotics, Automation & Control

Robots Track Moving Objects with Sub-Centimeter Accuracy

A system was developed that uses radio-frequency identification (RFID) tags to help robots target moving objects with unprecedented speed and accuracy. The system could enable greater...

Articles: Test & Measurement

The 6 Most Important Parts of a Temperature Monitoring System

Make the best selection for your hospital, clinic, or life science organization.

Briefs: Electronics & Computers

Form-Fitting Nanoscale Sensors

A method was developed to make atom-flat sensors that seamlessly integrate with devices to report on what they perceive. Electronically active 2D materials, touted for their strength, are difficult to move to...

Briefs: Semiconductors & ICs

Passive Smart Container

Although Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology is being used widely for pallet and box-level tracking in the commercial sector, significant technology gaps remain for tracking dense quantities at the item...

Articles: Aerospace

2019 Create the Future Design Contest Special Awards Section

See the eight winners of the 2019 "Create the Future" Design Contest

Articles: Manufacturing & Prototyping

2019 'Create the Future' Consumer Products Category Winner: Livox

Through Livox, non-verbal people can speak, learn how to read and write, and understand abstract concepts.

Briefs: Sensors/Data Acquisition

Method Makes Transistors and Electronic Devices from Thread

A transistor has been made from linen thread, enabling the creation of electronic devices made entirely of thin threads that could be woven into fabric, worn on the skin, or...

Application Briefs: Communications

Quantitative Analysis of Raw Milk Using Spectral Sensors

Measuring milk components has become very crucial for the dairy industry.

Application Briefs: RF & Microwave Electronics

A Vision-Based Lunar Navigator for Next-Generation Landers

Learn about the Draper Multi-Environment Navigator.

Briefs: Materials

Researchers Turn off Backscattering, Aim to Improve Optical Data Transmission

Engineers at the University of Illinois have found a way to redirect misfit light waves to reduce energy loss during optical data transmission. In a study,...

Products: Imaging

New Products: November 2019 Photonics & Imaging Technology

LIDAR Systems, Smart Cameras, Optical Communications, and more.

Articles: Photonics/Optics

Expanding Traditional Machine Vision With High-Speed Digital Imaging

Machine vision systems shed light on processes too small or too fast to see with the human eye.

Articles: Photonics/Optics

Bringing Precision Anamorphic Micro-Optics to Consumer-Level Laser Applications

Laser illumination is scaling in a new direction.

Briefs: Photonics/Optics

Tiny Lensless Endoscope Captures 3D Images of Objects Smaller Than a Cell

Researchers have developed a new self-calibrating endoscope that produces 3D images of objects smaller than a single cell without a lens or any optical, electrical, or...

Briefs: Photonics/Optics

Shaping Light with a Smartlens

High quality camera performance on mobile devices has proven to be one of the features that most end-users aim for. The importance of optical image quality improvement and the trend to have thinner and thinner...

Briefs: Photonics/Optics

Recovering Color Images from Scattered Light

A new imaging method extracts a color image from a single exposure of light scattered through a mostly opaque material.

Briefs: Manufacturing & Prototyping

Optical Neural Network Could Lead to Intelligent Cameras

UCLA engineers have made major improvements on their design of an optical neural network — a device inspired by how the human brain works — that can identify objects or process...

Briefs: Photonics/Optics

Mathematical Technique Quickly Tunes Next-Generation Lenses

Most of us know optical lenses as curved, transparent pieces of plastic or glass, designed to focus light for microscopes, spectacles, cameras, and more. For the most part, a...

Features: Medical

2019 Create the Future Design Contest Grand Prize Winner: ULiSSES

Learn more about ULISSES, an organ-preserving device that received top honors in the "Create the Future" Design Contest.

Articles: Wearables

2019 'Create the Future' Medical Category Winner: Cervical Stabilization Device

Learn more about the how "CSD" offers a cost-effective, non-invasive way of saving the lives of infants.

Products: Electronics & Computers

Product of the Month: November 2019 Tech Briefs

OnLogic has introduced the Karbon 700 high-performance rugged computer.

Blog: Sensors/Data Acquisition

Creating the Future: Livox Simplifies Communication for People with Disabilities

Livox uses machine learning to ease communication.