Blog

A Sustainable Support for 3D Printing: Moving Metal Pins

A new, sustainable take on the 3D printer reduces waste by eliminating the need for printed supports.

A Super-Thin Element Offers 'Positive' Potential for Transparent Electronics

Researchers from RMIT have introduced an ultra-thin material for semiconductors that could lead to transparent electronics.

A New Aluminum Anode Leads to Error-Free Rechargeable Batteries

Researchers from Cornell University have redesigned the battery so that aluminum more easily integrates into a battery's electrodes.

A Photonic 'Sunflower' Offers New Ideas for Light-Driven Systems

Taking inspiration from the insect, Tufts researchers created light-activated composite devices that execute precise, visible movements and form complex three-dimensional shapes, like a "photonic sunflower. "

A Warning System for Self-Driving Cars Learns from Failures

The A.I. system learns from thousands of real-traffic situations, when a self-driving car stopped unexpectedly.

Readers Select 2020 Products of the Year

This year's winners included industrial-automation software, simulation tech, and digital storage oscilloscopes.

With A.I., Robotic Exoskeletons Gain Self-Control

Robotics researchers are developing exoskeleton legs capable of thinking and making control decisions on their own using sophisticated artificial intelligence (AI) technology.

How Much Dynamic Range Do You Need from a Radar Sensor?

Long-range radar is used in air-traffic control. Short-range radar supports automotive applications like collision avoidance. How do you know what range you need for your application?

A 'Wearable Microgrid' Powers Your Devices

You have the power. That's the idea behind a "wearable microgrid" from the University of California San Diego that harvest and stores energy from your body to power electronics.

Deadline Extended: Enter the ‘Create the Future’ Contest

The 2021 “Create the Future” Design Contest is open, and we want to hear your big ideas.

As Vehicles Becomes More Complex, What Should Be Tested First?

Software and electrical engineering is converging in today’s vehicles. A reader asks our expert: “How do you decide which items to test first?”

A Robot ‘Hears,’ Using Ear from a Locust

A robot being developed at Tel Aviv University "hears" electrical signals, thanks to a natural sensor: the ear of a dead locust.

A Robot Walks — No Electronics Needed

To move, a new UCSD robot just needs a constant source of pressurized air.

How to Build and Test a Robotic Remote-Control for Ventilators

Dr. Axel Krieger from Johns Hopkins University explains how he is getting a robotic system ready for the fight against COVID-19.

A Former NASA Mission Manager Reflects on a 'Flawless' Mars Landing

Darin Skelly spoke with Tech Briefs about how he felt during the landing of the Perseverance rover, and what he's most looking forward to finding out about Mars.

A New Kind of Soft Pump, The Size of a Credit Card

What can you do with a credit card sized pump? "Power clothing!" Prof. Jonathan Rossiter tells Tech Briefs?

Watch Live: Mars Perseverance Rover Touches Down on Jezero Crater

Watch as the Perseverance rover lands on Mars.

Q&A: For Engineers, Is Mixed Reality...A Reality?

Design engineers should be cautious in how they design and deploy mixed-reality technologies, says an industry expert.

Answering Your Questions: Laser Radar...Or a CMM with a Laser Scanner?

Should you replace your big coordinate measurement machine with laser radar? Or should you just add a laser scanner with a CMM? A reader asks our expert.

How Smashing Nanoparticles Together Led to Super-Strength Metal 'Coins'

The hard “coin,” could be used to make super-strength metal coatings or larger industrial components.

A Recycling Breakthrough: Researchers Discover a Molecule That 'Zips Up'

The "polymer of squares” could one day enable the use of plastic products many times over.

Self-Heating Battery Addresses Key Barrier to Electric-Vehicle Adoption: Range Anxiety

If you're concerned that electric vehicles don't have the reliability to get you where you need to go, Penn State engineers are working on a battery for...

A Squid-Like 'Muscle' Senses Light and Changes Shape

Inspired by the squid's color-changing chromatophore, Rutgers engineers set out to create an artificial one.

A New Way to Cure Adhesives on Demand? Magnets.

The non-contact method of curing leads to adhesives that can be activated on demand.

CES 2021: How COVID-19 Turned the Car into a Personal 'Second Space'

In a roundtable presentation at the virtual CES 2021, panelists said the COVID-19 pandemic has changed driving patterns and consumer preferences – and that those shifts are here to stay.

Experts Weigh In: How Will a Robotic Future Impact Nature?

A survey of over 170 experts assessed the opportunities and challenges that drones, robots, and autonomous systems could have for urban nature and green spaces.

A Better Sensor Detects Ice Build-Up, In Real Time

The sensor is able to detect ice formation far before you can see it occurring on a surface.

A Spiraling Robotic Gripper 'Twines' Like a Plant

As engineering professor Mable Fok saw how the pole beans in her garden wrapped tightly around any objects nearby, she had an idea: What if a robotic gripper could do the same thing?

Q&A: 'Smellicopter' Uses Live Moth Antenna to Seek Out Smells

UW doctoral student Melanie Anderson explains how to make an autonomous 'Smellicopter' to navigate toward smells.