Test & Measurement

Thin Film Sensor for Ultra High-Temp Measurement

Innovators at NASA Johnson Space Center have developed a thin film sensor that measures temperatures up to 1200 °F, and whose prototype successor may achieve measurements up to ~3000 °F — which was the surface temperature of the Space Shuttle during its atmospheric reentry. Read on to learn more.

New Spacecraft Power System Passes First Test

A spacecraft power system that combines the technological know-how of engineers and scientists at the University of Leicester and NASA Glenn has passed its first test with flying colors. Read on to learn more about it.

How to Detect Battery Failures Quicker

Batteries in electric vehicles can fail quickly, sometimes catching fire without much warning. Sandia National Laboratories is working to detect these failures early and provide sufficient warning time to vehicle occupants. Read on to learn more about it.

Nail Penetration Adapter for Li-Ion Battery Testing

Innovators at NASA Johnson Space Center have designed a pneumatic nail penetration trigger system that drives a Li-ion battery cell into thermal runaway using a tungsten nail. Read on to learn more.

Integrating and Testing the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope

In this video, we provide an overview of the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope’s mission, capabilities and timeline to launch.

Open Software Options for Automation

As industrial automation technologies continue to advance, the balance between traditional and open solutions will likely evolve. The emphasis will be on providing versatile platforms that meet varied user needs. Read on to learn more.

An Algorithm for Making Robots Safer Around Humans

A new algorithm may make robots safer by making them more aware of human inattentiveness. In simulations, it improved safety by about a maximum of 80 percent and efficiency by about a maximum of 38 percent compared to existing methods. Read on to learn more about it.

Empowering Health Professionals with On-the-Spot 3D-Printed Tests

McGill University researchers have made a breakthrough in diagnostic technology, inventing a ‘lab on a chip’ that can be 3D-printed in just 30 minutes. The chip has the potential to make on-the-spot testing widely accessible. Read on to learn more.

HYPERFIRE: A Sub-Scale Non-Reacting Flow Test System

Engineers at NASAs Stennis Space Center have developed the HYdrocarbon Propellants Enabling Reproduction of Flows in Rocket Engines (HYPERFIRE), a sub-scale, non-reacting flow test system. HYPERFIRE uses heated ethane to enable physical simulation of rocket engines powered by a broad range of propellants in an inexpensive, accurate, and simple fashion. Read on to learn more.

Portable COVID Test Delivers Fast, Accurate Results

A new coronavirus test can get accurate results from a saliva sample in less than 30 minutes. Many of the components of the handheld device used in this technology can be 3D printed, and the test can detect as little as one viral particle per 1-μL drop of fluid. Read on to learn more.

Exosome-Coated Stent Heals Vascular Injury, Repairs Damaged Tissue

The stent delivers regenerative stem cell-derived therapy to blood-starved tissue.

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.

Measuring Earthquakes and Tsunamis with Fiber-Optic Networks

Scientists from the Institute of Geophysics at ETH Zurich, working together with the Swiss Federal Institute of Metrology (METAS), have found an inexpensive method that enables accurate earthquake measurements even on the ocean floor and in less developed countries.

New Algorithm Keeps Drones from Colliding in Midair

When multiple drones are working together in the same airspace, perhaps spraying pesticide over a field of corn, there’s a risk they might crash into each other. To help avoid these costly crashes, MIT researchers developed a system called MADER in 2020.

Optimal Information About the Invisible

Researcher are finding ways to estimate a target location when light gets deflected by a disordered structure.

Cell Labelling Method from Microscopy Adapted for Use in Whole-Body Imaging

Processes and structures within the body that are normally hidden from the eye can be made visible through medical imaging. Scientists use imaging to investigate...

A New Method to Measure the Motion of Soft Robots

Prompted by conversations regarding soft robotics, a research group has developed a design for a new sensor using 3D electrodes inspired by the folding patterns used in origami, able to measure a strain range of up to three times higher than a typical sensor.

Calculation of Unsteady Aerodynamic Loads Using Fast-Response Pressure-Sensitive Paint

NASA Ames has developed a new state-of-the-art method for measuring fluctuating aerodynamic-induced pressures on wind tunnel models using unsteady Pressure Sensitive Paint (uPSP).

New Technology Offers Better Diagnosis of Dizziness

The vibrating device uses bone-conducted sounds to achieve better results.

Easy, Accurate, Low-Cost Detection of Fluoride in Water

Researchers from Northwestern University have collaborated on the implementation of an accurate, low-cost, and easy-to-use test for detecting toxic levels of fluoride in water. The new biosensor device has been field tested in Kenya.

Micro-Device Detects Bacteria and Viruses

Researchers were able to successfully isolate bacteria from various fluids with a microparticle-based matrix filter. The filter trapped particles in small voids in the device, providing a larger concentration of bacteria for analysis.

Getting NASA Data to the Ground with Lasers

The Laser Communications Relay Demonstration (LCRD) will usher in a new era of laser communications.

Soft Skin Patch Could Provide Early Warning for Strokes, Heart Attacks

The patch uses ultrasound to monitor blood flow to organs.

Extractor for Chemical Analysis of Lipid Biomarkers in Regolith (ExCALiBR)

NASA Ames Research Center has developed a novel technology that provides an autonomous, miniaturized fluidic system for lipid analysis.