Tech Briefs

A comprehensive library of technical briefs from engineering experts at NASA and major government, university, and commercial laboratories covering all aspects of innovations in electronics, software, photonics, imaging, motion control, automation, sensors, test, materials, manufacturing, mechanical, and mechatronics.

Briefs: Materials

Injectable, Flexible Electrode Could Replace Rigid Nerve-Stimulating Implants

By electrically stimulating nerves, this therapy can reduce epileptic seizures and soothe chronic pain without the use of conventional drugs like opioids.

Briefs: Sensors/Data Acquisition

Material Detects COVID-19 Quickly and Accurately

Potential applications for a graphene atomic-level sensor include detecting COVID, ALS, and cancer.

Briefs: Materials

Implantable Stimulator Speeds Tendon Healing

The device combines with body power to treat tendon disease and damage, and sports injuries.

Briefs: AR/AI

3D Image Processing Optimizes Workflow

The new computer simulation method can equip engineers and doctors with better information.

Briefs: Imaging

Tool Calculates Materials’ Stress and Strain Based on Photos

The advance could accelerate engineers’ design process by eliminating the need to solve complex equations.

Briefs: Data Acquisition

Hacker-Resistant Cloud Software System

The system guarantees the security of virtual machines in the cloud.

Briefs: Data Acquisition

Data Transfer Service

This schedulable, predictable, high-performance data transfer service is designed for largescale scientific computing facilities.

Briefs: Robotics, Automation & Control

Soft Sensor Boosts Fingertip Sensitivity for Robots

A haptic thumb-shaped sensor uses machine learning to accurately estimate where objects come into contact with the sensor and how large the applied forces are.

Briefs: Photonics/Optics

NIST Improves the Ability of Optical Microscopes to Measure the Volume of Microdroplets

For the first time, a team has measured the volume of individual droplets smaller than 100 trillionths of a liter, with an uncertainty of less than 1%.

Briefs: Photonics/Optics

New Device Modulates Visible Light with the Smallest Footprint and Lowest Power Consumption

Columbia researchers are reducing both the size and the power consumption of a visible-spectrum phase modulator, from one millimeter to 10 microns.

Briefs: Nanotechnology

An Innovative Imaging Technique for Dynamic Optical Nanothermometry

A new imaging method measure temperature in 2D.

Briefs: Wearables

Neural Implant Monitors Multiple Brain Areas at Once

A study seeks to understand how different parts of the brain communicate with other.

Briefs: RF & Microwave Electronics

Wirelessly Power Multiple Wearable Devices Using a Single Source

Researchers successfully demonstrated the use of the human body as a medium for transmitting and harvesting energy to power wearables.

Briefs: Photonics/Optics

Nano Flashlight Enables New Applications of Light

Design of miniature optical systems could lead to future cell phones that can detect viruses and more.

Briefs: Semiconductors & ICs

Self-Sustaining, Intelligent Electronic Microsystems from “Green” Material

Researchers have created an electronic microsystem that can intelligently respond to information inputs without any external energy input, much like a...