Q&A: Physical Sciences

Q&A: NASA's Dr. James Thorpe Develops Instrumentation for Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA)

Gravitational waves from colliding black holes were first observed by the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO)...

INSIDER: Sensors/Data Acquisition

To Watch the Warehouse, Researchers Turn to Drones

Despite the growing use of wireless radio frequency ID (RFID) tags, lost inventory still costs warehouses billions of dollars every year. Researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of...

INSIDER: Test & Measurement

A Balancing Act: How Months in Space Impact Astronauts' Performance

When you arrive back on Earth after a year in space, you’re going to feel it.

NASA and Jacob Bloomberg, senior scientist in the Houston, TX- headquartered Johnson...

News: Data Acquisition

Sound-Off: With High-Speed Data, How Important is Signal Integrity?

Modern avionics are highly dependent on reliable connectivity — and reliable interconnection systems. As data rates inevitably improve to address greater military...

News: Lighting Technology

New battery coating could improve smart phones and electric vehicles

High-performing lithium-ion batteries are a key component of laptops, smart phones, and electric vehicles. Currently, the anodes, or negative charged side of lithium-ion...

News: Lighting Technology

Precision work: Defect-free coatings for silicon spheres

The prototype kilogram is the unit of mass upon which the weight of a kilo is based. And it’s becoming increasingly lighter. The reason for this, however, is unknown. Now researchers...

News: Lighting Technology

Designing the fuel-efficient aircraft of the future

As much as we complain about air travel, the fact is, flying has gotten considerably cheaper, safer, faster, and even greener, over the last 60 years.

News: Lighting Technology

Lab researchers 3D-print with high-performance carbon fiber

Lawrence Livermore National Lab researchers have become the first to 3D-print aerospace-grade carbon fiber composites, opening the door to greater control and optimization of the...

INSIDER: Sensors/Data Acquisition

Pen Device Identifies Cancer in Seconds

Engineers at The University of Texas at Austin have invented the MasSpec Pen that rapidly and accurately identifies cancerous tissue during surgery, delivering results in about 10 seconds — more...

INSIDER: Test & Measurement

Mini Spectrometer Has Big Potential

Researchers have created a miniaturized, portable version of the mass spectrometer, which traditionally has been bulky, limiting its in-field potential. Other smaller spectrometers have been less...

INSIDER: Motion Control

Learning to Crawl: Origami Robot Moves Like an Earthworm

A new mechanical innovation unfolded this month at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign as a team of engineers built a new kind of crawler robot. The wheel-less design takes...

Question of the Week: Materials

Do you see valuable applications for 3D-printed Kapton?

Our lead INSIDER story today showcased a new Kapton-like material, developed by a team at Virginia Tech. The researchers hope that the 3D-printed polymer will support new applications,...

Products: Sensors/Data Acquisition

Product of the Month: September 2017

The Measuring Division of Kaman Precision Products, Middletown, CT, announced the OEM-2306 non-contact linear displacement measuring instrument using eddy current technology. The board is...

INSIDER: Materials

Researchers Print the Unprintable: Kapton

Kapton, a material used in electronics and aerospace applications, has only been available in sheet form. Researchers from Virginia Tech have found a way to 3D-print a polymer with Kapton's...

News: Imaging

Imaging technique to improve understanding of Alzheimer's

Researchers have developed a fast and practical molecular-scale imaging technique that could let scientists view never-before-seen dynamics of biological processes involved in...

News: Imaging

Multispectral imaging reveals ancient Hebrew inscription

Using advanced imaging technology, Tel Aviv University researchers have discovered a hitherto invisible inscription on the back of a pottery shard that has been on display at the...

News: Imaging

Video imaging of single molecule DNA replication

Almost all life is based on DNA being copied or replicated. Now for the first time, scientists have been able to watch the replication of a single DNA molecule, with some surprising findings....

News: Imaging

New cellular imaging paves way for cancer treatment

Researchers at the Universities of York and Leiden have pioneered a technique that uses fluorescent imaging to track the actions of key enzymes in cancer, genetic disorders, and kidney...

News: Manufacturing & Prototyping

Sound-Off: How Does Recycled Powder Impact a 3D-Printed Part?

In the additive manufacturing process, leftover powder is often recycled for the next job. Do the raw materials degrade with time and exposure?

News: Manufacturing & Prototyping

Sound-Off: Who is Using 3D Printing for Thermal Management?

By reducing size and weight, 3D-printed parts provide an opportunity to improve thermal control systems. So which major industries are leading the way and using additive...

Articles: Communications

Self-Powered Wireless Sensors in the Industrial Internet of Things

Sensors have a key role in industrial production. For example, they can be used for quality and process monitoring or condition-based maintenance. The range of applications...

Briefs: Sensors/Data Acquisition

Optical Sensor for Unknown Gas Detection

Gas sensors are usually engineered to detect a specific molecule in one of many potential categories: toxic gases, combustible gases, and VOCs. A number of technologies, such as infrared,...

Briefs: Sensors/Data Acquisition

Expert in A Suitcase Cuts Power Bills 10% In Small Commercial Buildings

The Sensor Suitcase is a portable case that contains easy-to-use sensors and other equipment that make it possible for anyone to identify energy-saving opportunities in...

Application Briefs: Sensors/Data Acquisition

Surgeons Can Feel a Robot's Grip

Thanks to advances in biomedical engineering, the use of robotic systems in surgery has become increasingly common. A clear challenge in robotic surgery, however, is the lack of haptic technology — there...

Briefs: Sensors/Data Acquisition

Clean Water with Sandia Sensor Solution

Water utilities have a Goldilocks problem: If they don't add enough chlorine, nasty bacteria that cause typhoid and cholera survive the purification process. Too much chlorine produces disinfection...

Briefs: Sensors/Data Acquisition

Project Helps Provide More Precise Detection and Understanding of Seismic Activity In Oklahoma

Induced seismicity is earthquake activity that occurs because of changes in subsurface stress brought about by human activity. Using geology,...

Articles: Sensors/Data Acquisition

Networking the IoT with IEEE 802.15.4/6LoWPAN

The Industrial Internet of Things is predicated on large-scale, distributed sensor/control networks that can run unattended for months to years with very low power consumption. The characteristic...