Tech Briefs

Materials & Manufacturing

Access our comprehensive library of technical briefs on materials and manufacturing, from engineering experts at NASA and government, university, and commercial laboratories.

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Briefs: Medical
Inspired by parasites, the tiny needles could help eliminate painful shots.
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Briefs: Electronics & Computers
Additive manufacturing creates cooling solutions with sizes and shapes not previously possible.
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Briefs: Test & Measurement
Empa researchers were able to demonstrate real-time acoustic monitoring of laser weld seams.
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Briefs: Manufacturing & Prototyping
Designed to assist in robotic surgeries, biomedical devices can be printed in and on the human body.
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Briefs: Photonics/Optics
One unexpected application for spider silk is its use in the creation of biocompatible lenses.
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Briefs: Materials
Real-time terahertz imaging with a single-pixel detector.
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Briefs: Electronics & Computers
This high-strength material could be used to improve safety and reduce the cost of producing cars.
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Briefs: Energy
The robots could fly silently for covert operations and stay steady through turbulence.
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Briefs: Robotics, Automation & Control
Features include unusual color changes and high touch sensitivity.
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Briefs: Materials
Liquid-Repelling Substance Works on All Surfaces
The new coating can eliminate complex disinfectant procedures for protective face shields.
Briefs: Sensors/Data Acquisition
The material was designed specifically for biomedical or wearable technologies, since sweat and volatile organic compounds evaporate away from the skin.
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Briefs: Electronics & Computers
Bioactive inks printed on wearable textiles can map conditions over the entire surface of the body.
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Briefs: Motion Control
This approach could be used to cost-effectively make soft robots and wearable technologies.
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Briefs: Motion Control
Inspired by a coral polyp, this plastic mini robot moves by magnetism and light.
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Briefs: Motion Control
This technology can help robots walk up to 40 percent faster on uneven terrain such as pebbles and wood chips.
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Briefs: Robotics, Automation & Control
A new method manufactures complex shapeshifters for soft robots and biomedical implants.
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Briefs: Materials
The device brings lithium metal batteries one step closer to commercial viability.
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Briefs: Energy
A “butter-like” interlayer material boosts current density and increases safety.
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Briefs: Electronics & Computers
Drop-in replacements for lithium ion batteries would not pose a fire danger.
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Briefs: Electronics & Computers
The battery design increases the number of possible cycles from tens to more than 100 with little degradation.
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Briefs: Materials
Lithium batteries made using this electrode type could be much safer than typical lithium metal-based batteries.
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Briefs: Energy
Using ceramic material and graphene, the toughness of solid-state lithium-ion batteries can be doubled.
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Briefs: Materials
The technique could easily be translated into existing medical device manufacturing processes for use in orthopedic implants.
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Briefs: Materials
Organic Lithium-Powered Batteries
These batteries are more environmentally friendly while retaining performance, stability, and storage capacity.
Briefs: Green Design & Manufacturing
This highly porous sponge absorbs more than 30 times its weight in oil and can be reused up to several dozen times.
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Briefs: Materials
A new roll-to-roll production method could enable lightweight, flexible solar devices and a new generation of display screens.
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Briefs: Materials
The hydrogel could be made into a contact lens that effectively treats corneal melting.
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Briefs: Electronics & Computers
This approach could lead to entirely new and more efficient logic switches for computer chips.
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Briefs: Materials
Bacteria-Based Hydrogel Beads Clean Up Contaminated Groundwater
Beads that contain bacteria and a slow-release food supply to sustain them can clean up contaminated groundwater for months on end, maintenance-free.

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