A multinational advanced materials company is seeking wet coating technologies that show excellent weathering and durability. The coatings need to be applied to glass substrates. The coating needs to have excellent outdoor durability in excess of 10 years, have a hardness of at least 2H, and...

A flame-resistant fastening between two fabrics is sought, and must be simple to operate. The connection should resist frequent flexing, and must have a breaking strength of 120 kilogram-force. If folded cross-wise, it must withstand 40 kilogram- force, and may need to stand up to direct flame for 50...

Fastening Technology & Bolted Joint Design Seminar February 27-28, 2007 Detroit, Michigan USA This two-day seminar gives engineers and technical personnel current specifications for, and a better understanding of, the complexities of mechanical joining with fasteners. Featured topics include bolted/screwed joints, elastic...

Bill Sheredy heads NASA's Smoke Aerosol Measurement Experiment (SAME), implemented to design smoke detection devices operable in the micro-gravity environments found in the International Space Station and space shuttle. Fire is deadly and unpredictable on Earth; in an enclosed space vehicle in orbit, its presence takes on even...

"Micro-needles" have been disclosed that are characterized by their sharpness and side holes that prevent the coring phenomenon seen in standard needles. The needles can be several hundreds of microns in length and avoid most pain receptors in the skin. The sharpness ensures minimal damage to the skin. Click here to view...

Scientists at Hematech (Sioux Falls, SD) have genetically engineered a dozen "prion-protein-knockout" cows to be free from the proteins that cause bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), or mad cow disease. Prion protein is a natural cellular protein that can become misfolded into infectious particles and cause BSE and a...

Nanotech Briefs(R) magazine has announced a "Call for Nominations" for its third annual Nano 50 awards competition. The Nano 50 recognizes the top 50 technologies, innovators, and products with the greatest potential to advance the commercialization of nanotechnology. There is no cost to submit a nomination....

The OP280 series of infrared emitters and the OP580 series of matching silicon photo sensors from OPTEK Technology (Carrollton, TX) were named PTB Product of the Month for January. The OP280 emitter series consists of three standard devices: the OP180 940-nm infrared emitter, the OP280 880-nm infrared emitter, and the OP280K...

Optical scanners were first introduced 40 years ago. Since then, they have become the enabling technology behind many innovative products across many different industries, including medical imaging, industrial machining, product identification, biomedical research, automotive manufacturing, and many more. While...

Alternative Technologies for Storing Mechanical Energy A Fortune 500 company is seeking technology or joint development proposals for an alternative method of stored energy that can be used in place of a gas-charged cylinder or compression spring for closing valve. Click here for more info.

The unexpected longevity of NASA's twin rovers Spirit and Opportunity is giving NASA a chance to field-test on Mars some new capabilities useful both to these missions and future rovers. Both rovers begin their fourth year on Mars this month. They are currently testing four new skills included in revised flight software uploaded to their...

It's that time of year again -- time to cast your vote for NASA Tech Briefs' Readers' Choice Product of the Year. Each month, the editors of NTB select a Product of the Month. At the end of the year, we ask our Readers to choose the Product of the Year -- the one product from those 12 nominees that they feel was the most...

Engineers at Lehigh and Carnegie Mellon universities, working with Green Lane, PA-based Freedom Lift Corp., have integrated robotics, laser, and wireless technologies into a new system that promises to make it safer for wheelchair users to drive a car. Current solutions for wheelchair users who desire independent mobility require...

Two new 3D navigation devices, SpaceNavigator and SpaceExplorer, from 3Dconnexion(R), a Logitech company, San Jose, CA, have been named NASA Tech Briefs' Product of the Month for January. SpaceNavigator is an entry-level device that lets users move naturally and fluidly in 3D environments without making repetitive mouse...

A method is needed to prevent the evaporation of a liquid out of a porous biological structure or to retain the liquid in the biological structure. The method will be used to decrease the rate of water evaporation through a fingernail. It must be safe and easily applicable by a common user. Click here to respond to this Tech...

Researchers from the University of Delaware (UD) discovered a new class of ultra-thin polymer films with potential applications ranging from coating tiny microelectronic devices to plastic solar cells. The research focused on formerly nonpolymerizable ethylenes. The UD researchers developed a polymer-making technique that eliminates...

Torque Measurement Methods Outlining torque measurement in the following areas: calculation from electrical power; measuring reaction torque; measuring in-line torque; strain gages in torque measurement. This white paper showcases torque measurement products in action and details how measurement experts measure torque....

Northwestern University (Evanston, IL) researchers have combined organic and inorganic materials to produce prototype transparent, high-performance transistors that can be assembled inexpensively on both glass and plastics. To create the thin-film transistors, the Northwestern group combined films of the inorganic...