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A company is seeking to increase the efficiency of solar-based hydrogen generation systems. They are seeking technologies to develop a new module with at least 16 percent solar to hydrogen (STH) efficiency. Of particular interest are research organizations such as universities and the venture organizations that work jointly...

Purdue University researchers have developed tiny devices that are implanted in the brain to predict and prevent epileptic seizures, and a nanotech sensor implanted in the eye to treat glaucoma. The first project is a transmitter three times the width of a human hair that is implanted below the scalp to detect signs of an epileptic...

The 2007 Create the Future Design Contest, presented by SolidWorks Corp. and NASA Tech Briefs, is now open for entries in these categories: Machinery, Equipment, and Component Technology; Consumer Products; Medical; Safety and Security; Transportation; and Sustainable Technologies.

LM76 (East Longmeadow, MA) offers micro-positioning stages available in travel lengths from 10 mm to 200 mm. The Micro Stage linear positioning stages are available with 6-mm anti-backlash lead screws or 4-mm lead ball screws. They are suitable for pick-and-place, assembly, sampling, testing, and robotics. The Lead Screw Micro Stage...

Automation technology requires more precise and faster machines in order to meet growing demands on manufacturing cost reduction. Linear motors are becoming more important in applications like these with one or more feed axes. In an article in the August issue of Motion Control Technology™, Heidenhain Corporation outlines the...

In an ultimate example of "motion control," a team of Virginia Tech engineering and geography students have will compete in the national Urban Challenge autonomous vehicle competition sponsored by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). The team was one of only 11 "track A" teams chosen in 2006 to receive $1 million...

The 2007 Create the Future Design Contest, presented by SolidWorks Corp. and NASA Tech Briefs, is open for entries in these categories: Machinery, Equipment, and Component Technology; Consumer Products; Medical; Safety and Security; Transportation; and Sustainable Technologies.

Engineers at the University of Bath in the United Kingdom have developed a new diagnostic test that detects loosened artificial hip implants. The test measures the frequency of sound produced when the femur bone in the leg is vibrated. The method is more sensitive than the conventional method of using x-rays, and can diagnose much...

An infrared web moisture sensor, which is substantially temperature- and basis-weight insensitive comprises a source of infrared radiation for directing an infrared beam through the web, and an infrared detecting unit on the other side of the web that measures the transmission of the beam through the web at three separate...

A team from Imperial College London's Department of Chemical Engineering has developed a new fingerprinting technique that could detect the diet and sex of a suspected criminal. The technique collects fingerprints along with their chemical residue and keeps them intact for future reference. Chemical residues contain a few...

Your unique invention could win you $20,000 or other great prizes. Enter your design idea in the 2007 Create the Future Design Contest, presented by SolidWorks Corp. and NASA Tech Briefs. Entries are being accepted in six categories: Machinery, Equipment, and Component Technology; Consumer Products; Medical; Safety and Security;...

NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center in California has partnered with General Atomics Aeronautical Systems (GA-ASI) to demonstrate technologies that will expand the capabilities of remotely operated, unmanned aircraft to perform high-altitude Earth science missions. GA-ASI developed a version of its Predator reconnaissance...

Automatic Sampling for Critical Dimension Measurement This technology performs inspection of features on randomly selected fields for process control without over sampling or under sampling, thereby obtaining statistically accurate results and increasing production throughput.

Scientists at the University of Delaware (UD) have developed a new biomaterial with antibacterial properties that can be injected as a low-viscosity gel into a wound, where it becomes rigid nearly on contact. The gel could be used to deliver a targeted payload of cells and antibiotics to repair damaged human tissue. Applications...

Your unique invention could win you $20,000 or other great prizes in the 2007 Create the Future Design Contest, presented by SolidWorks Corp. and NASA Tech Briefs. Innovative design ideas are being accepted in six categories: Machinery, Equipment, and Component Technology; Consumer Products; Medical; Safety and Security;...

NASA Tech Briefs' new Digital Design Center, sponsored by Autodesk, provides a one-stop source for the latest information on how to design better products faster. Featured on the site is the first in a series of exclusive excerpts from the new book, "Better Be Running! Tools to Drive Design Success" by Dr. Ronald Hollis, the...

Each month, NTB highlights tech briefs related to a particular area of technology in a special section called Technology Focus. Here are some of the technologies featured in the August issue focus on Data Acquisition. Two Algorithms for Processing Electronic Nose Data Kennedy Space Center has developed two algorithms for...

A company seeks technologies that will replicate the crunch and taste of batter-dipped, deep-fried food in a convenience food stored in a freezer and rapidly prepared in a microwave. The technology would limit the migration of water molecules during freezer storage and microwaving. All ingredient-based solutions must be...

A study by scientists at the Queensland University of Technology in Australia has determined that some laser printers used in offices and homes release tiny particles of toner-like material into the air that people can inhale deep into their lungs, where they may pose a health hazard. The study team classified 17 out of 62 printers as...

Your unique invention could win you $20,000 or other great prizes in the 2007 Create the Future Design Contest, presented by SolidWorks Corp. and NASA Tech Briefs. Innovative design ideas are being accepted in six categories: Machinery, Equipment, and Component Technology; Consumer Products; Medical; Safety and Security;...

SolidWorks® 2008 3D CAD software from SolidWorks Corp. (Concord, MA) has been named NASA Tech Briefs' Product of the Month for August. The latest version of the software features a new user interface and 3D graphics, an enhancement of the SolidWorks Intelligent Feature Technology (SWIFT), and advanced design analysis...

A company seeks a material that will be used to transmissive-polarize 630-nanometer LED emissions. The material will be cut into flat disks no thicker than 2 mm. Diameters range from 9 mm to 72 mm. Temperature ranges are from -40 to 125 degrees Celsius for operation and -55 to 150 degrees Celsius for storage. Click here to...

NASA Tech Briefs has launched the Digital Design Center, sponsored by Autodesk, that provides a one-stop source for the latest information on digital prototyping, simulation, and analysis tools to help designers and engineers design better products faster. The site features CAD and CAE software news, design and...

If you have a unique design idea or invention, you could win $20,000 in the 2007 Create the Future Design Contest, presented by SolidWorks Corp. and NASA Tech Briefs. The contest is open for entries in these categories: Machinery, Equipment, and Component Technology; Consumer Products; Medical; Safety and Security; Transportation;...

This monthly review lets you "meet" the new advertisers appearing in Defense Tech Briefs (DTB). Here's a sneak peek at the products, services, and offers available from Augustís first-time advertisers. General Devices Co. (Indianapolis, IN) offers electronic packaging hardware as single components or complete solutions....

A monolithic silicon nitride ceramic is densified at temperatures lower than 2000 degrees Celsius, and heat-treated at temperatures greater than 2000 degrees Celsius. This monolithic silicon nitride has a highly acicular microstructure and average apparent aspect ratio greater than 1.8. It also offers excellent damage tolerance...

Researchers at MIT have demonstrated how ordinary spark-ignition car engines can, under certain driving conditions, move into a spark-free operating mode that is more fuel-efficient and cleaner. The new capability could be available in production models within a few years, improving fuel economy by several miles per gallon. Over time,...

Your unique invention could win you $20,000 or other great prizes. Enter your design idea in the 2007 Create the Future Design Contest, presented by SolidWorks Corp. and NASA Tech Briefs. Entries are being accepted in six categories: Machinery, Equipment, and Component Technology; Consumer Products; Medical; Safety and Security;...

Composite Absorptive Fiber Substantively Reduces Bulk This technology yields an absorbent, composite fiber for use as a cloth, medical dressing, or clothing. It combines a hydrophobic exterior and a hydrophilic interior for use as an absorbent to capture, or as a reservoir to release, liquids.