Briefs: Sensors/Data Acquisition
Mobile Instrument Detects and Samples Aerosol Particles
Hazardous airborne particles pose a risk for health and safety in a variety of environments; thus, detection of these small particles is essential. Current particle magnification systems are bulky and require a lot of power for operation, making them unsuitable to easily detect and analyze...
Articles: Test & Measurement
Products of Tomorrow: May 2018
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: Aerospace
Method for Transferring a Spacecraft from Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit to Lunar Orbit
This novel innovation from Ames Research Center allows spacecraft to share rides with larger spacecraft that are headed to Geosynchronous Earth Orbit (GEO). The secondary spacecraft is dropped off Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO) at any time during the day...
Briefs: Sensors/Data Acquisition
Freeform Fabrication Using Electrically Conductive Filaments
The use of multifunctional composites such as mechanically reinforced, electrically and thermally conductive parts is of interest in a range of application areas. Especially interesting and important is where tailorability of function is achieved by strategic placement of materials...
Briefs: Medical
A Fast, Non-Destructive Test for Two-Dimensional Materials
Thinning a material down to a single-atom thickness can dramatically change that material’s physical properties. Graphene, the best known two-dimensional (2D) material, has...
Briefs: Manufacturing & Prototyping
Printing Ink Removes Oxygen in Sealed Packages
Oxygen adversely impacts food flavor and nutrition. NASA’s proposed five-year shelf life for astronaut food requires aggressive measures to minimize oxygen. Previously, NASA packaged foods in containers with a high oxygen and moisture barrier. These materials have limiting properties. They contain...
Briefs: Materials
Method for Reducing Broadband Noise
Researchers at NASA’s Glenn and Langley Research Centers have developed a groundbreaking bio-mimicking acoustic liner for quieting noisy environments. Conventional approaches have not been able to absorb...
Briefs: Sensors/Data Acquisition
Novel 3D Printing Method Embeds Sensing Capabilities Within Robotic Actuators
Soft robots inspired by nature can crawl, swim, grasp delicate objects, and even assist a beating heart, but none of them has been able to sense and respond to the...
Briefs: Semiconductors & ICs
Fabric Converts Kinetic Energy into Electric Power
A fabric was developed that converts kinetic energy into electric power. The greater the load applied to the textile and the wetter it becomes, the more electricity it generates. The woven fabric generates electricity when it is stretched or exposed to pressure. The fabric can currently generate...
Briefs: Data Acquisition
Flight Awareness Collaboration Tool (FACT)
Winter weather such as snow, freezing precipitation, and ice can impact airport surface operations. These conditions may result in significant disruptions in arrival and departure rates. To address...
5 Ws: Photonics/Optics
5 Ws of Invisible Glass
Users of consumer electronics devices and solar cells, and high-power pulsed laser applications.
Briefs: Photonics/Optics
Surface-Field-Enhanced Detection of Deep UV Photons in Silicon Carbide Avalanche Photodetectors
While silicon carbide (SiC) is an ideal material for building ultraviolet (UV) photodetectors, the absorbed photons get recombined in the first few nanometers at the surface due to a large absorption coefficient in the 200- to 250-nm wavelength band....
Products: Communications
New on the Market: May 2018
JW Winco, New Berlin, WI, offers GN 2342 RoHS-compliant stainless steel assembly pins with three washer types available that place the bolt in an axial position in its insertion direction. The...
Briefs: Automotive
Environmentally Friendly, Rechargeable Proton Battery
A working, rechargeable proton battery was developed that could store more energy than currently available lithium-ion batteries. Potential applications include household storage of...
Briefs: Aerospace
Novel Turboelectric Aircraft Design
NASA Langley Research Center has developed a novel aircraft design that can carry 150+ passengers over a range of 3,500 nautical miles. Key features include a turboelectric propulsion system, twin...
Articles: Mechanical & Fluid Systems
The Less is More Approach to Robotic Cable Management
In recent years, cable management has come into the limelight because machine reliability has increased dramatically, even though robots have grown more complex. Unfortunately, the...
Technology Leaders: Sensors/Data Acquisition
Understanding Smart Machines: How They Will Shape the Future
Powered by smart machines, the new industrial revolution is changing how machine builders design, and how manufacturers operate today and in the future. To remain competitive and...
Briefs: Test & Measurement
Miniature Mass Spectrometer
For decades, mass spectrometers have offered a relatively fast and highly sensitive way to analyze and detect chemical compounds. But their bulky size has been a hindrance, limiting the in-field potential of the...
Researchers at Brookhaven National Laboratory have observed how lithium moves inside individual nanoparticles that make up batteries. The finding could help...
Briefs: Materials
Novel Radiation Shielding Material for Dramatically Extending the Orbit Life of CubeSats
NASA Langley Research Center has developed an innovative radiation shield made by layering metal materials in the Z-shielding method. It is a new, low-cost, and easy-to-implement method to protect CubeSat electronic circuits from ionizing radiation found in...
Briefs: Sensors/Data Acquisition
Reliable Geo-Limitation System for Unmanned Aircraft
NASA Langley Research Center has developed a breakthrough technology called Safeguard that can alleviate hazards with unmanned aircraft (UA) flying beyond their authorized perimeters and...
Briefs: Aerospace
Piezomagnetic Material Changes Magnetic Properties When Stretched
Piezoelectric materials, which generate an electric current when compressed or stretched, are familiar and widely used; for example, lighters that spark when a switch is...
Briefs: Imaging
Technique Measures Temperature of 2D Materials at the Atomic Level
Newly developed two-dimensional (2D) materials such as graphene — which consists of a single layer of carbon atoms — have the potential to replace traditional microprocessing chips based on silicon, which have reached the limit of how small they can get. But engineers have...
Briefs: Materials
Anti-UV Technology Using Synthetic Biology
This technology uses extracts produced from yeast transformed with a new anti-UV DNA construct to block ultraviolet (UV) radiation.
Briefs: Green Design & Manufacturing
Grid Friendly™ Charger Controller
Electric vehicles are growing in popularity, and while they represent a cleaner alternative to fossil-fueled vehicles, their increased use may stress the grid if this growing load is left unmanaged. A need...
Briefs: Test & Measurement
Analysis of Molecules in Liquids on a Chip
Much can be detected in blood or urine — viral illnesses, metabolic disorders, or autoimmune diseases can be diagnosed with laboratory tests, for instance. But such examinations often take a few...
Briefs: Semiconductors & ICs
Plastic Material Works as a Heat Conductor
Plastics are excellent insulators, meaning they can efficiently trap heat — a quality that can be an advantage in something like a coffee cup sleeve. But this insulating property is less desirable in products such as plastic casings for laptops and mobile phones that overheat, in part, because the...
Facility Focus: Medical
Oak Ridge National Laboratory
This year, Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) marks 75 years as a research institution. Located in Oak Ridge, TN, ORNL is the largest US Department of Energy science and energy laboratory, conducting basic and...
Briefs: Electronics & Computers
Technique Enables 3D Printing of Microstructures
Two-photon lithography (TPL), a high-resolution 3D printing technique, is capable of producing nanoscale features smaller than 1/100 the width of a human hair. The technique could enable X-ray...
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Upcoming Webinars: Automotive
The Power of the Hollow: Using Hollow Aluminum Extrusions to Meet...
Upcoming Webinars: Automotive
Helping HEV/EV Batteries Go the Distance and Stay Cool Under...
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Standardization for Automated-Vehicle Testing and Simulation
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Rotary Position Sensing for EV Powertrain Applications
Upcoming Webinars: Automotive
Best Practices for Avoiding Systematic Faults and Handling Random...
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PLC-Based Robotic Controls Versus OEM Robotic Controls
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Is Water Vapor the Next Energy Source? Lightning Researchers Test the Idea
