Tech Briefs

Sensors & Test

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

Briefs: Test & Measurement

New Nanoparticle-Based Sensors Can Measure Residual Herbicides in Food

The work shows the real-world viability of their easy-to-use and inexpensive methods of testing.

Briefs: Data Acquisition

Can Your Phone Tell if a Bridge Is in Good Shape?

A new study suggests mobile data collected while traveling over bridges could help evaluate their integrity.

Briefs: Photonics/Optics

Automatic Observation Management System, New Tool to Coordinate Telescope Network

The "AOM" performs complex observations with ten observation modes and 175 strategies.

Briefs: Sensors/Data Acquisition

Researchers Acquire 3D Images with LED Room Lighting and a Smartphone

Researchers are tapping into dynamically controlled LEDs to create a simple illumination system for 3D imaging.

Briefs: Imaging

Vision Sensing is Becoming More Accessible

Vision sensing systems are needed to improve operations in many industrial applications, where they can be arranged to detect the presence, position, and other characteristics of objects and products.

Briefs: Medical

Wearable Sensor Uses Ultrasound to Provide On-the-Go Cardiac Imaging

Researchers have developed a wearable ultrasound device — about the size of a postage stamp — that can assess both the structure and function of the human heart.

Briefs: Manufacturing & Prototyping

Printing High-Fidelity Sensors

Printed radio frequency (RF) surface acoustic wave (SAW) sensor devices are a promising technology for providing highly reconfigurable, cost-effective, and multi-parameter sensing.

Briefs: AR/AI

Artificial Skin Provides Haptic Feedback

The skin could help rehabilitation and enhance virtual reality by instantaneously adapting to a wearer's movements.

Briefs: Test & Measurement

Multi-Energy Electron Device to Enable Lab Testing of Spacecraft Materials

Engineers at the Air Force Research Laboratory are developing a multi-energy electron source, capable of emitting a beam of electrons, at dozens of energies simultaneously.

Briefs: Data Acquisition

An Accurate, Low-Cost Tool for Forest Measurement

Researchers have developed an algorithm, which gives an accurate measurement of tree diameter, an important measurement used by scientists to monitor forest health and levels of carbon sequestration.

Briefs: Test & Measurement

Peeling Back the Layers: Adhesives Testing for Wearables

Trends in wearable technology follow those of the broader biomedical and electronics industries — devices are getting smaller, smarter, and easier to use. Specifically, wearables in...

Briefs: Test & Measurement

Crack Image Quality Indicator

Engineers have developed a modeling and manufacturing technique that generates unique verification tools which simulate cracks in metals within X-ray setup part-testing geometries.

Briefs: Test & Measurement

An Energy-Efficient Method to Monitor Soil Moisture

The University of Maine’s Wireless Sensor Networks laboratory has developed a novel method of using AI and machine learning to make monitoring soil moisture more energy and cost efficient.

Briefs: Sensors/Data Acquisition

Low-Cost Device Can Measure Air Pollution Anywhere

Air pollution is a major public health problem. Now, an MIT research team is rolling out an open-source version of a low-cost, mobile pollution detector that could enable people to track air quality more widely.

Briefs: Medical

New Hydration Sensor Enables “Smart Diapers” and Other Health Monitors

A new sensor — so cheap and simple to produce that it can be hand-drawn with a pencil onto paper treated with sodium chloride — could clear the way for wearable, self-powered health monitors.

Briefs: Green Design & Manufacturing

New Sensor May Be Groundbreaking Tool for Soil Health

Bioengineers have developed sensors that monitor multiple soil parameters to provide farmers with accurate, real-time, continuous data to improve soil health and productivity.

Briefs: Test & Measurement

A Data-Driven Framework for Testing the Safety of Legged Robots

When it comes to the evolution of mobile robots, it may be a long time before legged robots are able to safely interact in the real world, according to a new study.

Briefs: Manufacturing & Prototyping

3D-Printer Filaments with Embedded Sensor Particles

Purdue University researchers have developed a method to add particles to filament and disperse them evenly through a traditional fused deposition modeling 3D printer.

Briefs: Manufacturing & Prototyping

New 3D-Printing Technique: A Game Changer for Medical Testing Devices

Researchers have developed a highly specialized 3D-printing technique that allows microfluidic channels to be fabricated on chips at a precise microscale.

Briefs: Test & Measurement

NEID Spectrometer Lights Up Path to Exoplanet Exploration

NASA's NEID tool delivered its first batch of data on the nearest and best-studied star, our Sun.

Briefs: Robotics, Automation & Control

Autonomous Driving Algorithm Distributes Risk Fairly

Researchers have developed the first ethical algorithm to fairly distribute the levels of risk rather than operating on an either/or principle.

Briefs: Test & Measurement

Improving Accuracy of Battery Charge Measurement

The issue of battery usage inefficiency in EVs resulting from an inaccurate battery charge measurement may finally get resolved.

Briefs: Sensors/Data Acquisition

Using Small Drones to Monitor Volcanoes

A team at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz has recently been assessing the potential for using a small, portable observation drone in remote regions.

Briefs: Wearables

Wearable Electronics for Continuous Cardiac, Respiratory Monitoring

A highly sensitive wearable sensor for cardiorespiratory monitoring could potentially be worn continuously by cardiac patients or others who require constant monitoring.