Origami Solves Challenge of Storing and Moving Rocket Fuel

A folded plastic bladder could store and pump the fuel.

AI and Wearable Cameras Combine in Self-Walking Robotic Exoskeletons

Exoskeleton legs are capable of thinking and making control decisions on their own using artificial intelligence technology.

“Fingerprints” for 3D Printers

Printers can be identified by their unique hot end, aiding intellectual property and security.

Method Produces Fine-Grained Targets

High-yield synthesis of carbon nanotubes is enabled via free electron laser ablation.

Atom-Based Radio Communications

An atom-based sensor can determine the direction of an incoming radio signal.

UpFront: September 2021 Tech Briefs

NASA Washing Machine Designs Go for a Spin Right now, there is no laundry service in space. Astronaut garments aren’t washed. They are put onto ships that burn up in the atmosphere. At NASA Glenn,...

Multiplexed Optical Antennas

These antennas dramatically increase the amount of information that can be simultaneously transmitted by a coherent light source.

Moving Platform for 3D Printing Reduces Waste and Costs

A low-cost, dynamically controlled surface for 3D printers reduces waste and saves time.

New on the Market: September 2021

Power distribution units, pressure sensors, connector straps, and more.

Algorithm Designs Soft Robots That Sense

A deep-learning technique optimizes the arrangement of sensors on a robot’s body to ensure efficient operation.

Centimeter-Long Snail Robot Powered with Light

The soft robot harvests energy from a laser beam and can crawl on horizontal surfaces and climb vertical walls and an upside-down glass ceiling.

Conformal, Lightweight, Aerogel-Based Antenna

The flexible antenna was designed for active aeronautical satellite communications.

Wearable Sensor Helps ALS Patients Communicate

A skin-like device can measure small facial movements in patients who have lost the ability to speak.

Facility Focus: The Pennsylvania State University School of Engineering

Learn about the batteries, skin sensors, flexible antennas, and other cutting-edge research coming from Penn State Engineering.

Service Valve for In-Orbit Cooperative Satellite Fueling

The valve enables telerobotic resupplying of media such as propellant and pressurant.

Human Reflexes Keep Two-Legged Robot Upright

The robot can walk, run, jump, and interact with the environment in synchrony with a human operator.

Sustainable 3D-Printed Magnets

An alternative, environmentally friendly production method creates permanent magnets.

Q&A: Flexible, Printable, Tunable Microwave Resonator Arrays

Fiorenzo Omenetto, Frank C. Doble Professor of Engineering at Tufts University School of Engineering, Dean of Research, and Director of the Tufts Silklab led a team that has produced...

Executive Roundtable: Cloud Software

Tech Briefs asked 5 execs: What should a user consider before moving to the cloud?

Cladding and Freeform Deposition for Coolant Channel Closeout

This method is a faster way to manufacture combustion chambers and nozzles for aerospace propulsion as well as heat exchangers in oil and gas applications.

Wireless, Wearable Transmitter

The wearable antenna bends, stretches, and compresses without compromising function.

Technology Enables Digital Communication Through Touch

The technology would enable transmission of information just by touching a surface.

Products of Tomorrow

Water-sensing smartphone screens, a NASA-developed RF switch, and an ultrasound patch.

Wearable Sensors Detect Gas Leaks

The ultra-compact, wearable hologram sensor immediately notifies the user of volatile gas detection.

Solid-State Carbon Dioxide Sensor

Applications include wearables, airplane cabin monitoring, medical diagnostics, and indoor air quality measurement.

Say Goodbye to the Dots and Dashes to Enhance Optical Storage Media

To modernize optical storage, Purdue researchers are replacing Morse code with colored “digital characters.”

Engineering the Flow of Light

A novel nanostructure produces uniquely shaped light.

Optimizing 5G Fiber Optic Filament Production

Ball screws are helping manufacturers meet the growing demand for fiber optic cables generated by 5G communications.

A Sharper Look at the Interior of Semiconductors

A new imaging method allows researchers to see inside complex semiconductors, without destroying them.