Stories
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Briefs: Photonics/Optics
Optical Filters Based on Dense Arrays of Microscopic Pillars
A proposal for development of a class of high-transmission and antireflection optical filters is derived from the observation that the eyes of moths reflect almost no light, regardless of the wavelength or the angle of incidence of illumination. The low-reflection property of moth eyes...
Briefs: Physical Sciences
Self-Temperature-Compensated Ceramic Strain Gauges
Ceramic static-strain gauges capable of generating mechanical-strain signals much larger than spurious thermal signals have been invented. These gauges are intended for use at temperatures from room temperature to 1,250 °C. Heretofore, external circuits have been used to provide temperature...
Briefs: Photonics/Optics
Organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) are grounded in a self-luminous display technology based on thin organic films as the light emitter. Like conventional inorganic light-emitting...
Briefs: Physical Sciences
Magnetostrictive actuators that would hold their displacements with power turned off have been proposed for use at temperatures from about 10 to about 77 K. Such "set and hold with power off"...
Briefs: Photonics/Optics
A simplified microwave radiometric apparatus has been proposed for use in quantifying the potential danger of accretion of ice onto an aircraft flying through a cloud. The quantity of...
Briefs: Sensors/Data Acquisition
Electrobiotic sensors have been proposed for detecting toxic substances in a variety of environments. Electrobiotic sensors would be inexpensive, compact units that would be easy to use and could be deployed...
Briefs: Electronics & Computers
Electric generators and magnetic-field sensors of a proposed type would be based on the magnetoelectric effect. A simple device of this type (see figure) would consist mainly of an inner layer of...
Briefs: Electronics & Computers
Submillimeter-sized thermoelectric devices based on thick films of Bi2–xSbxTe3 are undergoing development. As electronic circuits are designed with ever greater packaging densities and...
Briefs: Electronics & Computers
High-Speed Complex-Amplitude Liquid-Crystal SLMs
High-speed complex-amplitude spatial light modulators (SLMs) containing liquid crystals with pixel electronic circuitry on single-crystal-silicon backplanes are undergoing development. The basic approach taken in this project is to use fast-switching liquid-crystal materials and modulation-enhancing...
Briefs: Test & Measurement
Laser Heating for Testing Rocket-Engine Insulating Phenolic
A continuous-wave CO2 laser has been selected as a source of heat for testing the thermal response of carbon-cloth phenolic like that used as insulating material in a reusable solid-fuel rocket motor (RSRM). The particular thermal response of interest, observed during operation of an RSRM,...
Briefs: Software
SIMON — School Internet Manager Over Networks
School Internet Manager Over Networks (SIMON) is a software tool, exclusively for use on Macintosh computers, that is designed to provide access to, and management of, Internet information for teachers and students in kindergarten through twelfth grade. By eliminating the requirement for advanced...
Briefs: Materials
A number of matrix resins that contain thermosetting plasticizers have been developed for use in the resin-transfer molding (RTM) of composite-material (fiber/matrix) parts. These...
Briefs: Mechanical & Fluid Systems
Molded Plastic Simulated Landscapes
Simulated landscapes of Mars have been made of thermoplastic sheets molded to shapes derived from images of the Martian terrain. These simulated landscapes can be used to advantage in scientific experiments, simulations, educational displays, and other applications, in which unitary molded plastic sheets can...
Briefs: Materials
Investigators at the Johnson Space Center White Sands Test Facility (WSTF) have developed specifications of the amounts of alloying elements needed to increase the specific strengths of nickel alloys while...
Briefs: Materials
Aerogels With Gradients of Density
Aerogels with gradients in density have been produced in experiments, as part of an effort to develop materials that will be used in outer space to capture particles traveling at high speeds for the STARDUST mission.
Briefs: Test & Measurement
An optoelectronic instrument, known as a plant fluorescence sensor, is being developed for use as a working tool in agricultural settings. This instrument is a remote, passive monitor...
Briefs: Motion Control
The circuit shown in the figure is a controller for bistable brakes. The use of bistable brakes reduces energy consumption and spurious heating, as explained below.
A bistable brake is one that can stay in the...
Briefs: Automotive
A government/ industry/ academic cooperative has developed a hybrid electric transit bus (HETB). The goals of the development program, which continues, include doubling the fuel economy...
Briefs: Electronics & Computers
A NASA Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) project has led to the development of high-rate (155.52-Mb/s) modems for use in high-quality wireless data communications. The research was...
Briefs: Motion Control
The gaseous hydrogen flow control vale (GH2FCV; see Figure 1) is a critical space shuttle component that controls the pressure of the hydrogen external tank during launch and ascent to...
Briefs: Electronics & Computers
A microwave phase shifter that can be tuned by varying both electric and magnetic fields has been developed. This device combines all the advantages of prior electrically and magnetically tunable microwave...
Briefs: Physical Sciences
Recent advances in laser cooling and trapping of neutral atoms in magneto-optic traps (MOTs) would be exploited in ion-trap-based atomic clocks, according to a proposal. Beams of...
Briefs: Physical Sciences
A commercial scanning imaging white-light interferometer designed for measuring surface profiles of stationary objects has been modified into an interferometric instrument for imaging...
Briefs: Mechanical & Fluid Systems
A proposed electromechanical display system would be capable of presenting as many as four different messages. Conventional electromechanical display systems are limited to three messages.
Briefs: Information Technology
Rapid-Prototyping Virtual-Reality Software Tool Kit
The VrTool computer program enables its user to rapidly develop a prototype virtual-reality (VR) application program. Users of VR application programs need software that can help them keep pace with the rapidly evolving VR field. None of the previously commercially available VR software tool kits...
Briefs: Electronics & Computers
A prototype system for acoustic imaging of gas leaks that emit ultrasound was developed at Kennedy Space Center. Potential government and commercial users concerned with leak imaging...
Briefs: Physical Sciences
Two-Photon Microscope Imaging Spectrometer
A two-photon microscope imaging spectrometer has been proposed for use in scanning confocal two-photon microscopy. The proposed instrument would solve a spectrum-overlap that sometimes arises, as explained below.
Briefs: Electronics & Computers
An improved pseudostereophonic system utilizes digital filtering and head-related transfer functions (HRTFs) to afford tailorability and sound quality not available from older pseudostereophonic systems....
Briefs: Electronics & Computers
A simple microwave power-transmission system has been proposed for maintaining the charge on spacecraft batteries immediately prior to launch. The basic concept of this system could also be applied to other systems...
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Webcasts
Upcoming Webinars: Power
Hydrogen Engines Are Heating Up for Heavy Duty
Upcoming Webinars: Automotive
Advantages of Smart Power Distribution Unit Design for Automotive...
Upcoming Webinars: Automotive
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From Spreadsheets to Insights: Fast Data Analysis Without Complex...
Upcoming Webinars: Automotive
Battery Abuse Testing: Pushing to Failure

