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: Sensors/Data Acquisition

3D-Printed Objects Sense How a User is Interacting with Them

Sensing is incorporated directly into an object’s material, with applications for assistive technology and “intelligent” furniture.

Briefs: Test & Measurement

Sub-Pixel Spatial Resolution Interferometry

Applications include aircraft-mounted and space-based interferometers, electronics fabrication, and military optics.

Briefs: Sensors/Data Acquisition

Light Helps Autonomous Vehicles Better Scan for Nearby Fast-Moving Objects

Mechanical control and modulation of light on a silicon chip could enhance LiDAR.

Briefs: Imaging

System Uses Smartphone or Computer Cameras to Measure Health

The camera captures pulse and respiration signals from a video of a person’s face.

Briefs: Imaging

Multi-Shot Lensless Camera

The camera could have uses in faster disease diagnosis and thinner cellphones.

Briefs: Sensors/Data Acquisition

High-Definition Millimeter-Wave Body Scanner

In an airport, the scanner could eliminate the need for passengers to remove shoes at the checkpoint, speeding the screening process.

Briefs: Test & Measurement

Artificial Intelligence Improves Battery Health and Safety

A machine learning method promises to predict battery health with 10 times higher accuracy than the current industry standard.

Briefs: Aerospace

Getting NASA Data to the Ground With Lasers

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

Briefs: Photonics/Optics

Need for Larger Space Telescope Inspires Lightweight Flexible Holographic Lens

Holographic lenses render visible and infrared starlight into either a focused image or a spectrum.

Briefs: Test & Measurement

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

A team at the University of Münster is adapting a cell labelling strategy known as "SNAP-tag" technology.

Briefs: Aerospace

Automatic Observation Management System, New Tool to Coordinate Telescope Network

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

Briefs: Imaging

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: Packaging & Sterilization

Smart Wound Dressings with Built-In Healing Sensors

The built-in nanosensors glow to alert patients when a wound is not healing properly.

Briefs: Test & Measurement

High-Sensitivity Microwave Radiation Sensor

Better detection of microwave radiation will enable improved thermal imaging, electronic warfare, radio communications, and radar.

Briefs: Imaging

Non-Destructive Evaluation of Structures Using Transient and Lock-in Thermography

Applications include avionics, data storage, process control, reconfigurable manufacturing lines, and civil and structural engineering.

Briefs: Manufacturing & Prototyping

Mask Prototype Can Detect COVID-19 Infection

The sensor technology could also be used to create clothing that detects a variety of pathogens and other threats.

Briefs: Sensors/Data Acquisition

Flies’ Vision Mimicked to Control Robots

Biological insights of fruit fly eye movements could enhance robotics.

Briefs: Communications

Device Diagnoses COVID-19 from Saliva

The tabletop diagnostic yields results in an hour and can be programmed to detect variants of the SARS-CoV-2 virus.

Briefs: Robotics, Automation & Control

Calibration System for Automated Fiber Placement

The system creates accurate defect standards for in-situ inspection systems.

Briefs: Nanotechnology

Tiny Quantum Sensors See Materials Transform Under Pressure

Diamonds’ atomic flaws are converted into atomic sensors that watch a quantum world of materials under extreme pressure.

Briefs: Electronics & Computers

Ultra-Thin Sensor for Smart Contact Lenses

Engineers have developed a sensor system and manufacturing process for smart contact lenses. The sensor system contains a photodetector for receiving optical information, a temperature sensor for...