Technical Briefs, Design Engineering News

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Briefs: Aerospace

WiFi-Based Technique Measures Speed and Distance of Indoor Movement

A technology uses a combination of WiFi signals and accelerometer technology to track devices in near-real-time.

Briefs: Sensors/Data Acquisition

Biologically Inspired Artificial Skin Improves Sensory Ability of Robots

A synthetic skin enables robots to sense their own bodies and surroundings

Briefs: Mechanical & Fluid Systems

Self-Contained Wheel Unit

Researchers have developed a self-contained wheel unit that combines a wheel and an electric motor.

Briefs: Aerospace

Precision Low-Speed Motor Controller

The technology can be used in commercial motors, robotic systems, and hybrid and electric vehicles.

Application Briefs: Sensors/Data Acquisition

Docking System Enables Safe Rendezvous in Space

The ESA has commissioned its industry partners to design a new docking system called the International Berthing and Docking Mechanism (IBDM).

Briefs: Sensors/Data Acquisition

Algorithm Gives Robots a Faster Grasp

The algorithm speeds up the planning process that robots use to adjust their grip on objects.

Briefs: Internet of Things

Artificial Skin Provides Haptic Feedback

The skin could help rehabilitation and enhance virtual reality by instantaneously adapting to a wearer's movements.

Products: Mechanical & Fluid Systems

New Products

Actuators, Encoders, Gripping Tools, and More

Application Briefs: Materials

Valve Position Sensor Protects Switch Boxes from Salt Environment

Salty air the Dutch city of Harlingen causes exposed metal parts to corrode.

Special Reports: Internet of Things

ADAS/Connected Car - December 2019

Today's Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) and connected cars are paving the way for tomorrow's automated vehicles. To help you keep pace with the latest technology developments, we present this...

Briefs: Test & Measurement

MMOD Impact Detection and Location

This system uses fiber optic strain sensing to detect and locate micrometeoroid/orbital debris.

Products: Data Acquisition

New on the Market: December 2019

Adhesives, flame-retardant compounds, vision measurement, and more...

Articles: Test & Measurement

Employing the Electrical Digital Twin to Mitigate Compliance Risk in Aerospace

With the rise in electrification and design complexity, aerospace original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) need to look for new methodologies to mitigate compliance risk.

Briefs: Materials

Superconductivity in a Nickel Oxide Material

Made with “Jenga chemistry,” the material could help in understanding how high-temperature superconductors work.

Briefs: Imaging

Low-Bandwidth Radar Technology Provides Improved Detection of Objects

Radar technologies were originally designed to identify and track airborne military targets. Today, they're more often used to detect motor vehicles, weather formations, and geological terrain. Until now, scientists believed that radar accuracy and resolution are related to the...

Briefs: Communications

Enhanced Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) Reader

The reader uses a frequency multiplexer to boost its ability to accurately locate a greater number of RFID tags.

Briefs: Energy

Potassium-Oxygen Battery Stores Clean Energy

Researchers have developed a more efficient, more reliable potassium-oxygen battery with a cathode that stores the energy produced by a chemical reaction in a metal-oxygen or metal-air battery. The battery could make renewable energy sources like solar and wind more viable options for the power grid...

5 Ws: Manufacturing & Prototyping

5 Ws of EarEcho

The biometric tool uses modified wireless earbuds to authenticate smartphone users

Briefs: Test & Measurement

Embedded Fiber Optic Sensors (EFOS)

Current laser interferometry pressure pulse detection techniques use the shock-induced change in index of refraction to track detonation and/or shock fronts in a single fiber optic by reflecting laser light...

Technology Leaders: Energy

Development and Analysis of Solid-State Batteries with the COMSOL® Platform

As lithium-ion battery production doubles, more viable energy storage solutions are needed.

Briefs: Electronics & Computers

Li-ion Cell Calorimeter Makes Commercial Lithium Batteries Safer

Innovators at NASA Johnson Space Center have developed a calorimeter that is able to measure the total heat generated when specific types of Lithium-ion (Li-ion) cells are driven...