NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) has devised a compact, portable, less-expensive alternative to fMRI machines used to study brain function. Whereas typical fMRI systems fill a large room, this infrared imaging system would fit inside a modified bicycle helmet. Get more info here .
JPL researchers have demonstrated the first solid-state amplifier capable of producing gain at a frequency greater than 215 GHz. Fabricated as a monolithic microwave integrated circuit (MMIC) chip, the amplifier will be used in next-generation remote-sensing instruments designed to detect atmospheric water vapor. Get more info here .
Two Department of Energy labs - Los Alamos and Sandia - have teamed with JPL on a design for robotic vehicles powered by nuclear fission. The goal is to provide future planetary exploration rovers with a longer range and life, and higher power capabilities than possible with solar or radioisotope power systems. Get more info here .
