Tech Briefs

Briefs: Sensors/Data Acquisition

Quantum-Limit-Approaching Chemical Sensing Chip

Study shows improvements to chemical sensing chip that aims to quickly and accurately identify drugs and other trace chemicals.

Briefs: Sensors/Data Acquisition

Painless Paper Patch Test for Glucose Levels Uses Microneedles

A patch of needles connected to a paper sensor diagnoses conditions such as prediabetes.

Briefs: Wearables

New Flexible and Highly Reliable Sensor

Real-time health monitoring and sensing abilities of robots require soft electronics, but a challenge of using such materials lies in their reliability.

Briefs: Sensors/Data Acquisition

New Mathematical Tool Can Select the Best Sensors for The Job

A mathematical framework can help engineers make informed decisions about which sensors to use and where they must be positioned in aircraft and other machines.

Briefs: Sensors/Data Acquisition

Implantable Sensor Could Measure Bodily Functions — And Then Safely Biodegrade

Sensors need to be flexible, stretchable, biodegradable, safe, and stable for use in the body.

Briefs: Energy

Material Moves Wind Turbine Blades Toward Recyclability

The material can be recycled, making renewable energy more sustainable while lowering costs in the process.

Briefs: Sensors/Data Acquisition

Prototype Fuel Gauge for Orbit

The technology could continuously monitor fluid flow in pipes on the International Space Station and prevent satellites from colliding.

Briefs: Robotics, Automation & Control

Obstacle-Avoiding Drone Uses Live Moth Antenna

“Smellicopter” uses a live moth antenna to avoid obstacles and seek out smells.

Briefs: Software

3D-Printed Working Heart Pump with Real Human Cells

The functioning human heart pump provides a model to track and trace what happens at the cell and molecular levels in the pump structure.

Briefs: Nanotechnology

3D-Printed Smart Gel Changes Shape When Exposed to Light

The invention can become color-changing “artificial muscle.”

Briefs: Materials

Modification of Pigments Utilizing Atomic Layer Deposition

The coatings can be deposited on substrates such as glass, polymers, metals, and aerogels.

Briefs: Energy

Stacking and Twisting Graphene Unlocks a Rare Form of Magnetism

The technology could lead to a platform for quantum computation or new types of energy-efficient data storage applications.

Briefs: Electronics & Computers

Method Checks Electronic Properties of Oxide Materials

This method is an important step towards smaller, more advanced, environmentally friendly electronics.

Briefs: Materials

Glue Activated by Magnetic Field

A potential boon to green manufacturing, the new glue saves on energy, time, and space.

Briefs: Transportation

Lightweight, Hypersonic, Thermal Protection Material

The material is designed for high-temperature applications in aircraft, building insulation, personal protective clothing, industrial, and automotive.

Briefs: Test & Measurement

System Standardization Streamlines Industrial Designs

Equipment designers can simplify design efforts and adjust controller platforms as needed when they standardize on electronic input/output products.

Briefs: Manufacturing & Prototyping

High-Color-Purity 3D Printing

This method obtains high-color-purity 3D objects using a new class of nanoparticles.

Briefs: Mechanical & Fluid Systems

Advanced Supercritical Water Oxidation Reactor

This technology has potential across many industries including water reclamation and treatment, and waste destruction in liquid waste streams.

Briefs: Green Design & Manufacturing

Catalyst Efficiently Turns Carbon Dioxide into Useful Fuels and Chemicals

By converting CO2 into complex hydrocarbon products, a new catalyst could aid in large-scale efforts to recycle excess carbon dioxide.

Briefs: Electronics & Computers

Laser Printing Technology for Waterproof E-Textiles

The next generation of waterproof smart fabrics can be laser-printed and made in minutes.

Briefs: Electronics & Computers

Transistor Design Disguises Key Computer Chips from Hackers

This built-in security measure would prevent hackers from getting enough information about the circuit to reverse-engineer it.

Briefs: Unmanned Systems

Charging Port for Autonomous Drone Swarms

Hundreds of drones can recharge autonomously on unmanned ground vehicles.

Briefs: Materials

Process Turns Plastic Bags into Adhesives

A chemical process converts polyethylene plastic into a strong, valuable adhesive.

Briefs: Materials

Sensor Material Enables Stretchable Electronics to Perform Better Under Strain

The stretchable electronics are more stable as they change shape, which could lead to next-generation sensors for healthcare applications.

Briefs: Aerospace

Algorithms Improve Quadrotor Drone Performance

The algorithms enable drones to quickly switch between hover and forward flight.

Briefs: Semiconductors & ICs

Semiconductor Detector Identifies Radioactive Isotopes with High Resolution

The device has applications in medical diagnostics and homeland security.

Briefs: Manufacturing & Prototyping

3D-Printing of Sensors Directly on Expanding Organs

The technique could have applications in diagnosing and monitoring the lungs of patients with COVID-19.

Briefs: Aerospace

Keeping Drones Flying When a Motor Fails

Onboard cameras can be used to keep damaged quadcopters in the air and flying stably, even without GPS.

Briefs: Materials

Copolymer Removes Toxins from Water

Researchers have demonstrated that they can attract, capture, and destroy perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), a group of federally regulated substances nicknamed “the forever...