6G: Will It Trigger a Manufacturing Revolution?

The next evolution in mobile networks is on the horizon with 6G. Set to surpass 5G with enhanced speed, reduced latency, and expanded capacity, countless applications will benefit. Manufacturing is anticipated to be one of the greatest beneficiaries.

Artificial Intelligence: How Cloud Technology and AI Drive a More Productive Future

This new era of technology eases the twin challenges of capacity and complexity and offers more flexibility than ever for businesses to respond to a fast-changing world.

5 Emerging Technologies in Manufacturing

This feature explores five transformative currents shaping the future of manufacturing and heralding a new era of improved production, efficiency, and sustainability.

Videos of the Month

See the videos of the month, including one on FibeRobo, a novel body-temperature shape-changing fiber based on liquid crystal elastomers; one on 3D printing extremely viscous plastic solids; one on using digital twins in EV battery design and testing; and one on flexible sensors screen-printed onto a stamp-like flexible surface.

Can Harmful Gas Detection Improve With a New Way of Generating Powerful Lasers?

Scientists led by Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore) have developed a novel method to produce intense and ultra-fast lasers that holds promise for making precise devices that can speed up how quickly trace amounts of pollutants and hazardous gases can be sniffed out.

New Products

See the new products, including Edmund Optics' new line of ultrafast laser systems; LightPath Technologies, Inc.'s long wave infrared (“LWIR”) microbolometer imaging cores; Metrio Sensors' vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL) array boards; Allied Vision's new Alvium camera series; and more.

Measuring Earthquakes and Tsunamis with Fiber-Optic Networks

Scientists from the Institute of Geophysics at ETH Zurich, working together with the Swiss Federal Institute of Metrology (METAS), have found an inexpensive method that enables accurate earthquake measurements even on the ocean floor and in less developed countries.

New Frequency Comb Can Identify Molecules in 20-Nanosecond Snapshots

With this new capability, researchers can potentially use frequency combs to better understand the split-second intermediate steps in fast-moving processes ranging from the workings of hypersonic jet engines to the chemical reactions between enzymes that regulate cell growth.

Sharper Images: A Breakthrough in Microscopy Resolution

Researchers at Boston University recently developed a novel deblurring algorithm that improves the resolution of images with photon intensity conservation and local linearity.

Designing Optics for Lunar Rovers, Satellites and Other Space-Based Applications

The year 2024 will be full of new satellite manufacturing, launches and operations, with major players like Amazon expected to start full-scale deployment of Project Kuiper and strong demand for low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites driving development and launches from the likes of SpaceX and Telesat among others.

How Corning’s Hyperspectral Imaging in the Sky Sees the Unseen

New satellites equipped with Corning’s advanced hyperspectral-imaging technology can detect pipeline leaks and other environmental issues, providing precise monitoring and exploration capabilities for businesses and governments.

OPO Lasers Put Optical Components to the Test

Optical parametric oscillator (OPO) lasers have long been utilized in sophisticated test and measurement applications such as mass spectrometry, photoacoustic imaging, and spectroscopy.

How to Innovate and Overcome the Challenges of Blue Laser Beam Shaping

The blue laser has become the ideal light source for high-reflective metal processing, offering substantial advantages in various industrial applications such as cutting and welding.

Blue Laser Power Beaming for Planetary Exploration

Any plan for the long-term exploration or habitation of the Moon and Mars will almost certainly entail the use of multiple habitats, vehicles and remotely located equipment, all of which will require power sources.

5Ws of the Silk Transistor

Researchers at Tufts University have created microprocessor-scale transistors that can detect and respond to biological states and the environment.

5 Most-Popular Quizzes of 2023

Find out which five of our quizzes were the most popular in 2023.

5 Most-Watched Videos of 2023

Which videos were the most popular this year? Find out, as we’ve curated the top 5 Tech Briefs videos from 2023. Relive their greatness here.

Top 10 Engineering Stories of 2023 on Tech Briefs

If you missed the most-popular engineering stories of 2023 on Tech Briefs, see the list below.

Contact-Free 3D Hybrid Printing with New High-Performance Materials

Javier Ramos, CTO, and his team from Inkbit Corporation, Medford, MA, along with researchers from MIT and ETH Zurich, have developed a 3D inkjet printer that uses contact-free computer vision feedback to print hybrid objects with a broad range of new functional chemistries.

A New Minimally Invasive Approach to Spinal Cord Injury

Dr. Johannes Dapprich, NeuroPair’s CEO and founder, discusses their revolutionary approach to spinal cord repair that won the Grand Prize in the 2023 Create the Future Design Contest.

AI Steers Adaptive Control Systems

Unmanned Underwater Vehicles (UUVs) are used around the world to conduct difficult environmental, remote, oceanic, defense, and rescue missions in often unpredictable and harsh conditions.

MIT Engineers Design a Robotic Replica of the Heart’s Right Chamber

MIT engineers have developed a robotic replica of the heart’s right ventricle, which mimics the beating and blood-pumping action of live hearts.

AI Helps Robots Manipulate Objects with Their Whole Bodies

Imagine you want to carry a large, heavy box up a flight of stairs. You might spread your fingers and lift the box with both hands, then hold it on top of your forearms and balance...

How Much Do You Know About EMC/EMI?

EMC/EMI is a serious issue in the design of electronic systems. The best laid plans for a system design can easily go awry if EMC/EMI is not a serious consideration in both the design and installation. How much do you know about EMC/EMI?

Beyond the Shadows: Engineering Solutions for Surviving the Lunar Night

Passive thermal control systems have been developed over years of research and product development and will serve as enabling technology for NASA’s VIPER and future missions.

Navajo Pottery-Inspired Ceramic Water Filter

Navajo pottery-inspired water filtration system developed by engineers at The University of Texas at Austin can effectively and cheaply disinfect water.

10 Tech-Savvy Holiday Gifts for Engineers

Choosing a present for an engineer is almost as daunting as performing the tasks of an engineer. With that in mind, we here at Tech Briefs aim to make your life easier with regards to the former.

Human Factors in Drug Delivery

Human factors engineering helps prevent errors and contributes to the successful use of the device.

How Much Do You Know About Surgical Robots?

Surgical robots allow doctors to perform complex procedures with more precision, flexibility, and control than possible with traditional techniques. Surgical robots are also sometimes used in conventional open surgical procedures.