The Problem of Obsolete Avionics

Learn different strategies for addressing outdated avionics, like adding in commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) products.

Microphone Detects Turbulence Hundreds of Miles Away

A NASA microphone that detects unseen air turbulence is lofted to high heights aboard a stratospheric glider.

Smartphone App Hears Ear Infections in Children

The app detects fluid behind the eardrum using a piece of paper and a smartphone’s microphone and speaker.

Mode I Fracture Testing Apparatus

The device uses load frames to test bonded structures in aerospace, automotive, defense, and energy storage applications.

Smartphone-Based Medical Tests

A smartphone, combined with nanoscale porous silicon, enables inexpensive, simple, home diagnostics.

Paper-Based Sensor Detects COVID-19 in Minutes

The electrochemical sensor can detect the presence of the virus in less than five minutes.

Extreme Low-Frequency Hydrophone

Applications include monitoring of earthquakes and tsunamis as well as manmade infrasonic sources such as boats.

Device Measures Toxic Lead in Minutes

The portable lab-on-a-chip detects many contaminants in water supplies.

Cord Tension Measurement Device

Potential applications include parachutes, hot air balloons, weather balloons, blimps, sails, and parasails.

5 Ws of the SARS-CoV-2 RapidPlex Sensor

A low-cost sensor enables at-home diagnosis of a COVID infection.

Possible Significant Response Speedup from Detuning a Resonator Bolometer

The response time of kinetic inductance bolometers can be greatly enhanced by electrothermal feedback for devices that are both sensitive and speedy.

Custom Gimbal for JHU-APL Shows Promise for Others

See how Blue Joule developed and delivered the Mini Mount (MM) Gimbal to Johns Hopkins University.

Mars 2020 – Getting to Mars

Perseverance will have the ability to land in more challenging terrain than Curiosity, making more rugged sites eligible as safe landing candidates.

Smartphone System Tests for Lead in Water

This inexpensive system can detect lead levels below EPA standards.

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.

Quantitative Analysis of Raw Milk Using Spectral Sensors

Measuring milk components has become very crucial for the dairy industry.

High-Sensitivity, Low-Noise MEMS Accelerometer

A high-sensitivity and low-noise MEMS accelerometer was developed using multi-layer metal structures composed of multiple metal layers. The accelerometer achieves 1 μG level resolution that has...

Simultaneous Imaging and Friction Measurement with an In-Situ Tribometer

Different instruments are needed to study the interaction of contact surfaces at different length scales. Tribometers measure the coefficient of friction but they...

Precise Temperature Measurements with Invisible Light

A portable, stable, standards-quality radiation thermometer was invented that can measure temperatures between -50 °C (-58 °F) to 150 °C (302 °F). The corresponding infrared...

Miniature Spring Performance Tester

In order to qualify miniature springs, manufacturers of these systems rely on commercially available testers that are designed for large-scale springs (>0.5" diameter). Commercially available spring...

Device Simplifies Measurement of Fluoride Contamination in Water

Adding fluoride to water has been common practice in a number of countries including the U.S. In low concentrations (below 1.5 mg/L), fluoride can help prevent tooth decay and...

High-Throughput Friction and Wear Tester

There is a need for high-volume material testing/qualification but industry and researchers are currently limited by commercially available testing devices. Most wear testers can only handle one...

LED Lighting Improves Efficiency and Imaging

Rocket engine testing requires a lot of light since all tests are filmed with high-speed cameras to monitor performance; however, those cameras have to adjust to the bright plume from a firing...

S-Curve Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometer

Time-of flight mass spectrometers are commonly used in analytical chemistry and many other applications. They contain a region where ions travel toward a detector. A new geometry was developed that...

Extrans Permeation Measurement System

Many applications in science and industry require an apparatus that creates a controlled amount of a fluid introduced into another fluid. For instance, some material corrosion testing applications...

Rapid Nucleic Acid Isolation Method and Fluid Handling Devices

Gene expression analysis measures the activity of genes and reveals valuable information about the internal states of living cells. NASA Ames has developed a novel system for...