Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute researchers have developed a new energy storage device that resembles a sheet of black paper. The nanoengineered battery is lightweight, ultra-thin, flexible, and geared toward meeting the design and energy requirements of tomorrowís gadgets, implantable medical equipment, and transportation...

Your unique invention could win you $20,000 or other great prizes. Enter your design idea in the 2007 Create the Future Design Contest, presented by SolidWorks Corp. and NASA Tech Briefs. Entries are being accepted in six categories: Machinery, Equipment, and Component Technology; Consumer Products; Medical; Safety and Security;...

Equipment Anti-Theft Technology This technology provides a module for preventing unauthorized initiation and operation of equipment. Once the equipment is operating, the key can be removed and the equipment will continue to operate. Click here for more info.

A Florida State University researcher has designed a smart "traffic system" that is small enough to fit on a microchip. The lab-on-a-chip device, when exposed to very low magnetic fields, can be used as a portable tool for diagnosing human illnesses. With the system, doctors would not have to wait days for lab results. It would be...

Specialty Lubrication in New Product Design Wednesday, September 19, 2007, 2:00 PM EST Lubricants are often the forgotten components in the design of moving elements. Last-minute redesign and changes can be avoided by considering lubricant performance needs during the design phase. High-performance equipment generates...

Your unique invention could win you $20,000 or other great prizes in the 2007 Create the Future Design Contest, presented by SolidWorks Corp. and NASA Tech Briefs. Innovative design ideas are being accepted in six categories: Machinery, Equipment, and Component Technology; Consumer Products; Medical; Safety and Security;...

Thomas Jefferson University Hospital for Neuroscience has developed and is using translational, interactive 3D technology to map the human brain and guide surgeons during epilepsy surgery, and to help determine the location of brain tumors for removal. The 3D mapping guides surgeons during epilepsy procedures to see exactly where...

A company is seeking to increase the efficiency of solar-based hydrogen generation systems. They are seeking technologies to develop a new module with at least 16 percent solar to hydrogen (STH) efficiency. Of particular interest are research organizations such as universities and the venture organizations that work jointly...

Purdue University researchers have developed tiny devices that are implanted in the brain to predict and prevent epileptic seizures, and a nanotech sensor implanted in the eye to treat glaucoma. The first project is a transmitter three times the width of a human hair that is implanted below the scalp to detect signs of an epileptic...

The 2007 Create the Future Design Contest, presented by SolidWorks Corp. and NASA Tech Briefs, is now open for entries in these categories: Machinery, Equipment, and Component Technology; Consumer Products; Medical; Safety and Security; Transportation; and Sustainable Technologies.

LM76 (East Longmeadow, MA) offers micro-positioning stages available in travel lengths from 10 mm to 200 mm. The Micro Stage linear positioning stages are available with 6-mm anti-backlash lead screws or 4-mm lead ball screws. They are suitable for pick-and-place, assembly, sampling, testing, and robotics. The Lead Screw Micro Stage...

Automation technology requires more precise and faster machines in order to meet growing demands on manufacturing cost reduction. Linear motors are becoming more important in applications like these with one or more feed axes. In an article in the August issue of Motion Control Technology™, Heidenhain Corporation outlines the...

In an ultimate example of "motion control," a team of Virginia Tech engineering and geography students have will compete in the national Urban Challenge autonomous vehicle competition sponsored by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). The team was one of only 11 "track A" teams chosen in 2006 to receive $1 million...

The 2007 Create the Future Design Contest, presented by SolidWorks Corp. and NASA Tech Briefs, is open for entries in these categories: Machinery, Equipment, and Component Technology; Consumer Products; Medical; Safety and Security; Transportation; and Sustainable Technologies.

Engineers at the University of Bath in the United Kingdom have developed a new diagnostic test that detects loosened artificial hip implants. The test measures the frequency of sound produced when the femur bone in the leg is vibrated. The method is more sensitive than the conventional method of using x-rays, and can diagnose much...

An infrared web moisture sensor, which is substantially temperature- and basis-weight insensitive comprises a source of infrared radiation for directing an infrared beam through the web, and an infrared detecting unit on the other side of the web that measures the transmission of the beam through the web at three separate...

A team from Imperial College London's Department of Chemical Engineering has developed a new fingerprinting technique that could detect the diet and sex of a suspected criminal. The technique collects fingerprints along with their chemical residue and keeps them intact for future reference. Chemical residues contain a few...

Your unique invention could win you $20,000 or other great prizes. Enter your design idea in the 2007 Create the Future Design Contest, presented by SolidWorks Corp. and NASA Tech Briefs. Entries are being accepted in six categories: Machinery, Equipment, and Component Technology; Consumer Products; Medical; Safety and Security;...

NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center in California has partnered with General Atomics Aeronautical Systems (GA-ASI) to demonstrate technologies that will expand the capabilities of remotely operated, unmanned aircraft to perform high-altitude Earth science missions. GA-ASI developed a version of its Predator reconnaissance...

Automatic Sampling for Critical Dimension Measurement This technology performs inspection of features on randomly selected fields for process control without over sampling or under sampling, thereby obtaining statistically accurate results and increasing production throughput.

Scientists at the University of Delaware (UD) have developed a new biomaterial with antibacterial properties that can be injected as a low-viscosity gel into a wound, where it becomes rigid nearly on contact. The gel could be used to deliver a targeted payload of cells and antibiotics to repair damaged human tissue. Applications...

Your unique invention could win you $20,000 or other great prizes in the 2007 Create the Future Design Contest, presented by SolidWorks Corp. and NASA Tech Briefs. Innovative design ideas are being accepted in six categories: Machinery, Equipment, and Component Technology; Consumer Products; Medical; Safety and Security;...

NASA Tech Briefs' new Digital Design Center, sponsored by Autodesk, provides a one-stop source for the latest information on how to design better products faster. Featured on the site is the first in a series of exclusive excerpts from the new book, "Better Be Running! Tools to Drive Design Success" by Dr. Ronald Hollis, the...

Each month, NTB highlights tech briefs related to a particular area of technology in a special section called Technology Focus. Here are some of the technologies featured in the August issue focus on Data Acquisition. Two Algorithms for Processing Electronic Nose Data Kennedy Space Center has developed two algorithms for...

A company seeks technologies that will replicate the crunch and taste of batter-dipped, deep-fried food in a convenience food stored in a freezer and rapidly prepared in a microwave. The technology would limit the migration of water molecules during freezer storage and microwaving. All ingredient-based solutions must be...

A study by scientists at the Queensland University of Technology in Australia has determined that some laser printers used in offices and homes release tiny particles of toner-like material into the air that people can inhale deep into their lungs, where they may pose a health hazard. The study team classified 17 out of 62 printers as...

The scenario: You’ve been assigned the task of designing and producing an embedded device. You’ve been given time, cost and size constraints that impact your design. An initial analysis of the requirements leads you to the conclusion that a 32-bit processor with a relatively small amount of RAM...