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: Manufacturing & Prototyping

Technology Integrates Electronics onto Physical Prototypes

In place of flat breadboards, 3D-printed CurveBoards enable easier testing of circuit design on electronics products.

Briefs: Sensors/Data Acquisition

Miniature Electronic Devices Work Under Extreme Pressure

Pop-up miniature electronics based on the Japanese art of kirigami can be repeatedly compressed.

Briefs: Electronics & Computers

Quantum Error Correction Method

This method provides a key step toward quantum computers, sensors, and distributed quantum information.

Briefs: Photonics/Optics

Tunable, Chip-Based, Vortex Microlaser and Detector

This system encodes information in twisting beams of light.

Briefs: Energy

Smart Windows Self-Illuminate on Rainy Days

Self-powering, color-changing humidity sensors are applicable to various fields including smart windows, health care, and safety management.

Briefs: Imaging

Acoustic Monitoring of Laser Welds

Empa researchers were able to demonstrate real-time acoustic monitoring of laser weld seams.

Briefs: Data Acquisition

Self-Powered Alarm Fights Forest Fires, Monitors Environment

A remote forest fire detection and alarm system is powered by nothing but the movement of trees in the wind.

Briefs: Robotics, Automation & Control

Engineers 3D-Print Sensors Onto Moving Organs

Designed to assist in robotic surgeries, biomedical devices can be printed in and on the human body.

Briefs: Photonics/Optics

Markerless Motion Capture Technology Could Help Skeleton Athletes’ Training

A new type of motion capture technology accurately tracks an athlete during the push start phase of performance.

Briefs: Imaging

Leap in Lidar Could Improve Safety and Security of New Technology

University of Colorado researchers have described a new silicon chip that improves the resolution and scanning speed needed for a lidar system.

Briefs: Imaging

T-Ray Camera Speed Boosted a Hundred Times Over

Real-time terahertz imaging with a single-pixel detector.

Briefs: Test & Measurement

Ultra-Sensitive Device Detects Magnetic Fields

The magnetic device is inexpensive to make, works on minimal power, and is 20 times more sensitive than many traditional devices.

Briefs: Medical

Wireless “Pacemaker” for the Brain

This neurostimulator could deliver fine-tuned treatments to patients with diseases such as epilepsy and Parkinson’s.

Briefs: Data Acquisition

Electronic “Skin” Brings Sense of Touch and Pain to Prosthetic Hands

The “E-dermis” will enable amputees to perceive through prosthetic fingertips.

Briefs: Robotics, Automation & Control

Automated Robotic Device for Faster Blood Testing

This technology provides rapid results, improving hospital workflow and patient care.

Briefs: Photonics/Optics

Breathable Electronics for Wearable Technologies

The material was designed specifically for biomedical or wearable technologies, since sweat and volatile organic compounds evaporate away from the skin.