Billy's Blog

Blog: Sensors/Data Acquisition

How to Make a Transistor – From Thread

Tufts University engineers are making transistors from a material you’re more likely to see in a fabric store than in the field of electronics.

Blog: Materials

When Exposed to Light, Artificial 'Chameleon Skin' Changes Color

"Actually it was not something we really planned!" Dr. Andrew Salmon told Tech Briefs.

Blog: Transportation

Answering Your Questions: Will Glazing Requirements Change When Vehicles Go Autonomous?

How much does windshield glazing matter when cars drive themselves?

Blog: Aerospace

A Mars Mystery Continues, As Study Rules Out Wind Erosion’s Role in Methane Spikes

Researchers from Newcastle University continue to explore the source of Mars' mysterious methane.

Blog: Sensors/Data Acquisition

AI and Agriculture: How to Spot Bad Bananas — With a Phone

The Tumaini app will could help farmers spot pests and disease before it's too late.

Blog: Propulsion

Answering Your Questions: What Kind of Spacecraft Will Bring Astronauts to the Moon in 2024?

Lockheed Martin's Rob Chambers is working on a spacecraft that will bring astronauts back to the lunar surface.

Blog: Aerospace

Answering Your Questions: How is NASA Studying the Effects of Microgravity on the Human Body?

NASA is planning a return to the Moon and an exploration-mission to Mars, but how will the human body hold up in microgravity for long...

Blog: Imaging

Camera Sees Objects Around Corners (Even Better Than Before)

A new-and-improved system from Stanford University captures light from a greater variety of surfaces, allowing a wider, farther imagery than ever before.

Blog: Energy

How to Generate Electricity — From Rust

Scientists from Caltech and Northwestern University have found a way to generate electricity by combining saltwater with one of life's more undesirable compounds: rust.

Blog: Aerospace

What is the ‘Lunar Gateway?’ NASA Details Its Return to the Moon

Sign up now to hear how NASA plans to get back to the Moon by 2024.

Blog: Electronics & Computers

Answering Your Questions: How Will Emulation Be Used in Automotive Design?

A reader asks: What role will emulation play in the verification of modern automotive solutions?

Blog: Energy

Answering Your Questions: What Are My Lithium-Ion Battery Inspection Options?

Our readers ask: How do you know that you have the right anode? How can you inspect the electrolyte or electrode material?

Blog: Nanotechnology

A Self-Healing Glass, Inspired by a Butterfly Wing

A team from the University of Pittsburgh looked to the butterfly to create a glass that is self-healing, liquid-repellant, and anti-fogging.

Blog: Mechanical & Fluid Systems

A Work of Art: Researchers Create Complex Actuators, Automatically

MIT's new way of automatically creating actuators is a bit like solving a Rubik's Cube.

Blog: Aerospace

Answering Your Questions: Are Military Standards Influencing Commercial UAV?

A reader asks our industry expert: Will air taxis be influenced by military UAV standards?

Blog: Electronics & Computers

The Apollo 11 ‘Spinoff’ Technologies We Still Use Today

Many of the technologies we use today – space blankets, hearing aids, food packaging – began on the Apollo 11 mission.

Blog: Manufacturing & Prototyping

With Embedded App, 'Anyone Can Program Robots'

A new app opens up robotics to a large user base.

Blog: Photonics/Optics

New at Sensors Expo: Image-Quality LiDAR for Autonomous Vehicles

At Sensors Expo in San Jose, Innovusion (Los Altos, CA) debuted the Cheetah high-resolution, image-grade LiDAR system with long-distance capability.

Blog: Sensors/Data Acquisition

At Sensors Expo: SST Wireless on a 'Journey of Innovation'

The key to IoT implementation: Democratizing big data, says SST's Christopher Chong.

Blog: Photonics/Optics

LASER World of PHOTONICS, Day 3 — Unusual Exhibits

Editor Bruce A. Bennett takes us through the unusual — and completely unexpected —at this year's LASER World of Photonics.

Blog: Photonics/Optics

LASER World of PHOTONICS, Day 2: Bigger is Better

Many vendors at this year's event made their presence known with mega-sized booths.

News: Energy

From LASER World of PHOTONICS 2019: Light as the Key to Global Sustainability

The increased use of photonics has the potential to reduce CO2 emissions — by 3-billion tons.

News: Photonics/Optics

LASER World of PHOTONICS 2019

The bi-annual Laser World of Photonics exhibition begins today.

Blog: Energy

How to Produce More Clean Water? Resemble the Rose.

A new water purifier works better because it takes the shape of the rose.

Blog: Data Acquisition

Answering Your Questions: What are New Missions for Military UAVs?

An industry expert tells a Tech Briefs reader what's over the next hill regarding military UAVs.

Blog: Automotive

An ‘Active’ Machine-Vision Tool Adds Intelligence to Traffic Management

A new machine-vision tool extracts and reports valuable driving data from the standard traffic cameras already in place.

Blog: Test & Measurement

Energy-Efficient ‘SlothBot’ Moves Only When It Has To

While robots like the WildCat from Boston Dynamics reach speeds of just under 20 miles an hour, engineers from Georgia Tech have gone with a decidedly slower approach.

Blog: Electronics & Computers

A Better Battery Offers ‘All-Renewable’ Promise for the Power Grid

An Ohio State researcher shares with Tech Briefs the promise of potassium-oxygen batteries.

Blog: Communications

NIWeek 2019: What Will Slow Down 5G? ‘Nothing,’ Says Panel

“Nothing is going to slow 5G down. I mean nothing," said one NIWeek panelist.