Magazine

Articles: Materials

Inside Story, November 2021: Momentive Materials in Space, Defense, and Aviation

Thanos Yiagopoulos, Chief Technology Officer of Momentive Performance Materials, discusses how engineers can determine the best product for their application.

Articles: Manufacturing & Prototyping

2021 Create the Future Design Contest Grand Prize Winner: Self Destructing Plastics via Embedded Enzymes

Once triggered, the enzyme-embedded plastics self-destruct, completely degrading and eliminating microplastics in days.

UpFront: Photonics/Optics

UpFront: November 2021 Tech Briefs

How to be a NASA intern; a new ideas for moon fabrics; and NASA's need for a better rover.

Articles: Electronics & Computers

2021 Create the Future Design Contest: Electronics/Sensors/IoT Category Winner — Freetouch

Freetouch turns a smartphone into a touchscreen remote control.

Articles: Materials

Products of Tomorrow

Nanotube fibers that turn heat to power; a NASA antenna system; and an antimicrobial coating.

Application Briefs: Photonics/Optics

Designing Advanced IR Optical Assemblies for UAVs

Unmanned aircraft present a range of optics challenges.

Briefs: Photonics/Optics

New “Metalens” Shifts Focus Without Tilting or Moving

The design may enable miniature zoom lenses for drones, cellphones, or night-vision goggles.

Briefs: Mechanical & Fluid Systems

Nanoscale Machines Convert Light into Work

The optically powered machines self-assemble and could be used for nanoscale manipulation of tiny cargo.

Products: Imaging

New Products

Infrared lens testers, fiber optic transceivers, spectral radiometers, and more.

Articles: Photonics/Optics

Silicon Carbide Optics for High-Energy Applications

Silicon Carbide (SiC) optics are becoming more and more prevalent in high-energy laser (HEL) designs, and manufacturers must be aware of the potential risks

Application Briefs: Imaging

Illumination Design Considerations for Robotic Surgery Vision Systems

To have a successful product, one must consider all the required sub-systems to deliver high-quality illumination.

Briefs: RF & Microwave Electronics

Unique Amplifier Could Change Optical Communication

Researchers at Chalmers University of Technology have developed an optical amplifier that they expect will revolutionize both space and fiber communication.

Briefs: Photonics/Optics

Let’s Get Small: New Argonne Method Greatly Improves X-Ray Nanotomography Resolution

Scientists are working to improve the image resolution of X-ray techniques.

Articles: Imaging

Thermal Imaging — Making Hidden Details Visible

When even your iPhone can easily become a thermal imager, today's top cameras offer better sensitivity and measurement accuracy.

Briefs: Test & Measurement

Making Measurements with a Fine-Toothed Comb

The comb detects even the smallest amounts of greenhouse gases in the air or look for disease in human breath.

Products: Semiconductors & ICs

Product of the Month

Dinkle International offers universal interface modules for connecting equipment signals to I/O modules.

Articles: Mechanical & Fluid Systems

ARTEMIS I: Our Return to the Moon Begins

Artemis I will launch from Kennedy Space Center into Earth orbit, where it will travel 40,000 miles beyond the Moon.

Briefs: Sensors/Data Acquisition

“Smart” Shirt Monitors the Heart

Flexible carbon nanotube fibers woven into clothing gather accurate EKG and heart rate.

Briefs: Motion Control

DC Drives as Replacements for AC Servos

Low-voltage DC stepper and servo drives offer space-saving options for applications traditionally handled by AC servo drives.

Q&A: Materials

Q&A: Self-Healing Polymers Create Water-Resistant Coatings

Jingcheng Ma, along with a team of researchers at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, found a way to make ultra-thin water-resistant surface coatings robust enough to survive...