Magazine

Smart Aerogel Turns Air into Drinking Water

This invention achieves sustainable freshwater production in a variety of climates at minimal energy cost.

Tiny 3D-Printed Bricks Enable Bone and Soft Tissue Repair

Flea-sized, hollow blocks can be filled with materials that improve healing.

Extreme Low-Frequency Hydrophone

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

3D Printing of Gels and Soft Materials

A new method could jump-start the creation of tiny medical devices for the body.

Chip Delivers COVID-19 Test Results on a Smartphone

Programmed magnetic nanobeads are used to detect the virus in 55 minutes or less.

Rocket Thruster Exploits the Mechanism Behind Solar Flares

Thrusters based on magnetic reconnection could complete long-distance missions in a shorter period of time.

New on the Market: May 2021

Cable ties, milling software, snap-action switches, and more.

Device Measures Toxic Lead in Minutes

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

Navigation Algorithm Enables Drones to Learn Acrobatic Maneuvers

Autonomous quadcopters can be trained using simulations to increase their speed, agility, and efficiency.

Turbulence Model for Design of Aircraft Capable of Handling Extreme Scenarios

This model can be used to design better aircraft without having to wait months for supercomputer calculations.

Cord Tension Measurement Device

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

I/O Module Enables Remote Data Capture

See how makers of an automated truck wash system added a monitoring option for customers.

Rapid 3D Printing of Biomedical Parts

The structures’ small size and porosity make them well-suited for building components such as replacement joints.

2D Materials Capable of Forming Complex 3D Shapes

Synthetic materials can mimic how living organisms expand and contract soft tissues, achieving complex 3D movements and functions.

Wafer-Thin Nanopaper Changes from Firm to Soft at the Touch of a Button

Bioinspired cellulose nanofibrils can be controlled by electricity.

Q&A: Platform Converts Headphones from 'Dumb' to 'Smart'

Rutgers researcher Xiaoran Fan developed a "HeadFi" method that uses ordinary headphones as sensors.

Accelerated Degradation of Li-Ion Batteries for High-Rate Discharge Applications

As the vehicle platform size decreases, the pulse power discharge rates of the Energy Storage System (ESS) increase.

Enhancing Hybrid Flow Battery Electrodes with Nanomaterials

This technology provides highly efficient grid-scale electricity storage at a fifth of the cost of current storage technologies.

Range-Doubling Lithium-Metal Batteries “Build Themselves” in Li-Ion Manufacturing Method

Lithium-metal solid-state batteries can provide a safer, more energy-dense alternative to current technology.

Low-Cost, Fast Production of Solid-State Batteries

A disruptive manufacturing technology now offers reduced manufacturing costs and improved volumetric energy density in all-solid cells.

Charge Control Methods for Supercapacitors

A comparison of passive and active supercapacitor charging methods emphasizes the need for a close inspection on power source and supercapacitor demand.

New Products

Battery analyzers, uninterruptible power supplies, adhesives, and more.

Cobalt-Free Cathodes for Lithium-Ion Batteries

The cathodes could enhance energy density of next-generation Li-ion batteries.

Powering Tomorrow: Battery and Electrification Summit Preview

The online Battery and Electrification Summit on June 15 and 16, 2021 offers two days of expert insight, innovation, and emerging applications.

Wireless Charging for Lunar Robots

See how WiBotic — a maker of wireless charging and fleet energy management technologies — is preparing robots for the Moon.

Nanostructured Alloy for Battery Anodes

The alloy could influence the way energy storage devices are designed and manufactured.

Product of the Month

A smart temperature transmitter delivers measurements via Bluetooth.

Robotic Construction System

Emerging robotics technology may lead to better buildings in less time.

Get a Handle on Grippers

In North America alone, the gripper market is worth roughly $100 million — and that number is expected to climb up to 5 percent each year.