Magazine

O-RAN Redefining the Future of Wireless Connectivity

Ultimately, the success of the 5G Open Radio Access Network (5G O-RAN) deployments hinges on a multi-pronged approach involving a blend of collaboration, standardization, and advanced automated testing tools.

Enhancing Generative Design with Topology Optimization

Both generative design and topology optimization can be leveraged with the COMSOL® software, which also provides features for customizing automated designs so that they are suitable for specific manufacturing methods.

Building the Products of Tomorrow with the Comprehensive Digital Twin

By connecting all cross-domain models and data from across the product development, manufacturing, and usage lifecycles, the comprehensive digital twin forms the foundation for the digital transformation of a company, empowering adopters to surge ahead of the competition as they innovate faster and more efficiently.

Lab-on-a-Chip Genetic Test Device Identifies Viruses Within Three Minutes

Developed by engineers at the University of Bath, the prototype LoCKAmp device uses innovative Lab-on-a-Chip technology and has been proven to provide rapid and low-cost detection of COVID-19 from nasal swabs.

New Semiconductor Detector Shows Promise for Medical Diagnostics

Detector can identify radioactive isotopes with high resolution.

Portable Laser-Guided Robotic Metrology (PLGRM)

Innovators at the NASA Glenn Research Center have developed the PLGRM system, which allows an installed antenna to be characterized in an aircraft hangar. All PLGRM components can be packed onto pallets, shipped, and easily operated.

A New Material That Excels at Trapping Hydrogen

The advance, detailed in a paper published recently in the journal Physica Scripta, could enable more efficient compact fusion reactors that are easier to repair and maintain.

A Novel Approach to Controlling Energy Waves in 4D

A team of scientists has successfully created a new synthetic metamaterial with 4D capabilities, including the ability to control energy waves on the surface of a solid material. These waves, called mechanical surface waves, are fundamental to how vibrations travel along the surface of solid materials.

Making Hydrogels More Injectable

To aid the development of gel-like materials, MIT and Harvard University researchers have created a set of computational models to predict the material’s structure and mechanical properties, as well as functional performance outcomes.

‘Smart’ Coating Could turn Fabrics into Protective Gear

A durable, copper-based coating developed by a team at Dartmouth University can be integrated into fabric to create responsive, reusable materials such as protective equipment, environmental sensors, and smart filters.

Screen-Printed Sensors Allow Earbuds to Record Brain Activity and Exercise Levels

A pair of earbuds can be turned into a tool to record the electrical activity of the brain as well as levels of lactate in the body with the addition of two flexible sensors screen-printed onto a stamp-like flexible surface.

Sensor Measures Light, Heat, and Touch

Researchers have developed a sensor that, similar to human skin, can sense temperature variation that originates from the touch of a warm object as well as the heat from solar radiation. The sensor combines pyroelectric and thermoelectric effects with a nano-optical phenomenon.

New Patch Can Help Control Robotic Exoskeletons

In a new study, engineers from Korea and the United States have developed a wearable, stretchy patch that could help to bridge the divide between people and machines — and with benefits for the health of humans around the world. In lab experiments, the researchers showed that humans could use these devices to operate robotic exoskeletons more efficiently.

Ice Detection from Microwave Sensors

Ice build-up on aircraft and wind turbines can impact the safety and efficiency of their systems. Microwave sensors were developed that can identify in real time these accumulations while calculating the rate of melting. This is crucial data for aviation.

Freeze-Resistant Hydration System

NASA’s Johnson Space Center is offering an innovative freeze-resistant hydration system for licensing. The technology substantially improves on existing hydration systems because it prevents water from freezing in the tubing, container, and mouthpiece, even in the harshest conditions on Earth.

Converting Carbon Dioxide to Solid Carbon Nanofibers

Researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Brookhaven National Laboratory and Columbia University have developed a way to convert carbon dioxide (CO2), a potent greenhouse gas, into carbon nanofibers, materials with a wide range of unique properties and many potential long-term uses.

AI Identifies New Materials for Carbon Capture

The atom-by-atom approach to MOF design enabled by AI will allow scientists to have what Argonne Senior Scientist and Data Science and Learning Division Director Ian Foster called a “wider lens” on these kinds of porous structures.

A Bioinspired Multimaterial Soft Robotic Hand

A research paper by scientists at the University of Coimbra proposed a soft robotic hand comprising soft actuator cores and an exoskeleton, featuring a multimaterial design aided by finite element analysis to define the hand geometry and promote finger’s bendability.

AI Helps Robots Manipulate Objects with Their Entire Bodies

Humans are generally good at whole-body manipulation, but robots struggle with such tasks. Now, MIT researchers have found a way to simplify this process, known as contact-rich manipulation planning.

Robot Reads Braille Twice as Fast as Humans

Although the robot braille reader was not developed as an assistive technology, the researchers say the high sensitivity required to read braille makes it an ideal test in the development of robot hands or prosthetics with comparable sensitivity to human fingertips.

New on the Market

See what's new on the market, including igus' iglide i230 3D printing material for selective laser sintering (SLS); Evident Corporation's advancements in operability and versatility; high-tech stainless steel measuring tape; PI Americas' series of air bearing-based optical delay line stages; and Emerson's DeltaV™ Edge Environment integrated software.

Products of Tomorrow

See the products of tomorrow, including Lightmatter's chip specializing in AI operations and its interconnect that facilitates data transfer between chips; implantable biomedical devices; and a metallic nanotube.

Product of the Month

See the product of the month: e-con Systems' new IP67-rated high dynamic range (HDR), Power over Ethernet (PoE) camera — RouteCAM_CU22 — a powerful addition to its high-performance Ethernet camera series for tough outdoor conditions.

A New Wireless Tracking System Enhances the Extended Reality Experience

Aditya Arun and his team from the Wireless Communication Sensing and Network Group (WCSNG) at the University of California San Diego have developed an asset localization system that uses wireless signals to track physical objects with centimeter-level accuracy in real time, and then generates a virtual representation of these objects.

NASA’s Invention Puts a New Spin on Automotive Brake Rotors

NASA’s invention inspired an innovative design for a better automobile disc brake that’s much lighter and drastically improves the braking performance.

5Ws of the Dressing Robot

A bimanual dressing robot system developed at the University of York uses AI to mimic how caregivers assist humans in dressing.

Can Solid-State Batteries Commercialize by 2030?

Automakers are increasingly focusing on the long-delayed promise of solid-state batteries. With no liquid electrolyte, these batteries can be lighter, safer (with reduced fire risk), faster to recharge, and more energy dense while still being able to deliver ranges of 600 miles (965 km) or more.