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: Manufacturing & Prototyping

Ring Detects Finger Location to Track Hand Movements

The technology, which could be added to smart watches, could detect the onset of Parkinson’s disease or help with stroke rehabilitation.

Briefs: Motion Control

Octopus-Inspired Soft Robotic Arm

The Tentacle Bot can grip, move, and manipulate a wide range of objects.

Briefs: Energy

Sunlight Converts Emissions into Useful Materials

An environmentally friendly method upcycles carbon dioxide emissions into polymers and other materials.

Briefs: Imaging

Virtual and Augmented Reality Device Simulates Vision Loss

VR/AR devices can simulate some of the key difficulties experienced due to glaucoma.

Briefs: Robotics, Automation & Control

3D-Printed Sweating Robot Muscle

This form of thermal management can help enable untethered, high-powered robots to operate for long periods of time without overheating.

Briefs: Semiconductors & ICs

Tiny, Magnetically Powered Neural Stimulator

Tests show magnetoelectric power is a viable option for clinical-grade implants.

Briefs: Photonics/Optics

Continuous and Stable Lasing Achieved From Low-Cost Perovskites at Room Temperature

With low-cost materials called perovskites, stable, continuous lasing is achieved at room temperature for over an hour.

Briefs: Automotive

Ambient Light Alters Refraction in 2D Material

See how tantalum disulfide is supporting new kinds of optics, and potentially new kinds of application for VR and self-driving cars.

Briefs: Data Acquisition

“Alexa, Go to The Kitchen and Fetch Me a Snack”

MIT engineers are envisioning robots more like home helpers.

Briefs: AR/AI

Recovering Data: NIST’s Neural Network Model Finds Small Objects in Dense Images

A NIST method employs a neural network to detect patterns like geometric objects in imaging data.

Briefs: Electronics & Computers

Possible Significant Response Speedup from Detuning a Resonator Bolometer

The response time of kinetic inductance bolometers can be greatly enhanced by electrothermal feedback for devices that are both sensitive and speedy.

Briefs: Electronics & Computers

Using Silicon for Battery Anodes

A nanostructure design lends extraordinary strength to a promising storage ingredient.

Briefs: Manufacturing & Prototyping

Hybrid Material is an Efficient Photodetector

A metal-organic framework does not contain cost-intensive raw materials and can be produced in bulk.

Briefs: Photonics/Optics

Optical Neural Network Recognizes Objects Instantly

This technology can work with multiple wavelengths of light simultaneously.

Briefs: Imaging

Mass-Producible, Centimeter-Scale Metalens

Applications include low-light conditions such as on orbital satellites and VR applications where the lens needs to be larger than a pupil.

Briefs: Electronics & Computers

Bending an Organic Semiconductor Boosts Electrical Flow

This method could benefit next-generation electronics.

Briefs: Materials

Battery Improvement Enhances Electric Flight and Long-Range Electric Cars

The new battery technology could improve electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft and supercharge safe, long-range electric cars.

Briefs: Electronics & Computers

“One-Way” Electronic Devices

These non-reciprocal devices on a compact chip pave the way for applications from two-way wireless to quantum computing.

Briefs: Wearables

Integrated Microchips for Electronic Skin

Fully integrated flexible electronics made of magnetic sensors and organic circuits open the path towards the development of electronic skin.

Briefs: Sensors/Data Acquisition

3D-Printed Soft, Rubbery Brain Implants

This technique may enable speedy, on-demand design of softer, safer neural devices.

Briefs: Software

Algorithm Protects Networks by Detecting Adversarial Actions

A higher-order network could be built that looks for subtle changes in data that point to suspicious activity.

Briefs: Motion Control

Testing Swarming Drones

This system has a capacity of more than 1,500 times the volume of a typical testing facility.

Briefs: Materials

Method Turns Nearly any Object into a Data Storage Unit

This technology makes it possible to save extensive data in objects such as shirt buttons, water bottles, or the lenses of glasses and then retrieve it years later.