Electronics

Computing Breakthrough: First Logical Quantum Processor

Harvard researchers have realized a key milestone in the quest for stable, scalable quantum computing, an ultra-high-speed technology that will enable game-changing advances in a variety of fields, including medicine, science, and finance.

Highest-Resolution Single-Photon Superconducting Camera

The NIST camera is made up of grids of ultrathin electrical wires, cooled to near absolute zero, in which current moves with no resistance until a wire is struck by a photon. In these superconducting-nanowire cameras, the energy imparted by even a single photon can be detected because it shuts down the superconductivity at a particular location (pixel) on the grid. Combining all the locations and intensities of all the photons makes up an image.

Piezo Composites with Carbon Fibers for Motion Sensors

An international research group has engineered a novel high-strength flexible device by combining piezoelectric composites with unidirectional carbon fiber (UDCF), an anisotropic...

Researchers Create First Functional Semiconductor Made from Graphene

Researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology have created the world’s first functional semiconductor made from graphene, a single sheet of carbon atoms held...

Self-Powered Sensor Automatically Harvests Magnetic Energy

MIT researchers have developed a battery-free, self-powered sensor that can harvest energy from its environment.

Product of the Month

See the product of the month, 3D Systems' SLS 300 smaller-footprint 3D printer designed for use in settings other than a manufacturing floor.

New on the Market

See what's new on the market, including Keystone Technologies' THM Test Points, Nikon IMBU's CT systems for non-destructive inspection, Renesas' SoCs and MCUs, Rad Source NDT's X-ray Inspection System, the Precision Specimen Loader from Instron, and more.

Measuring Earthquakes and Tsunamis with Fiber-Optic Networks

Scientists from the Institute of Geophysics at ETH Zurich, working together with the Swiss Federal Institute of Metrology (METAS), have found an inexpensive method that enables accurate earthquake measurements even on the ocean floor and in less developed countries.

AI Steers Adaptive Control Systems

Unmanned Underwater Vehicles (UUVs) are used around the world to conduct difficult environmental, remote, oceanic, defense, and rescue missions in often unpredictable and harsh conditions.

Scientists Amplify Superconducting Sensor Array Signals Near the Quantum Limit

Understanding how energy moves in materials is fundamental to the study of quantum phenomena, catalytic reactions, and complex proteins. Measuring how energy...

Novel Approach to Advanced Electronics and Data Storage with Ferroelectricity

New research from Flinders University and UNSW Sydney, published in ACS Nano, explores switchable polarization in a new class of silicon compatible metal oxides...

Researchers Demonstrate a High-Speed Electrical Readout Method for Graphene Nanodevices

The 'wonder material' graphene is well-known for its high electrical conductivity, mechanical strength, and flexibility. Stacking two layers of graphene...

Zonal Electrical Architectures Cut Vehicle Wiring-System Cost, Complexity

Ultimately, zonal architectures require a fundamentally reorganized software structure that allows the OEM to independently, quickly, easily, and modularly adapt the control of the entire vehicle while minimizing the complexity in the wiring harness and the number of control devices.

New Products

See the new products, including new Vision hardware from Beckhoff; Renishaw’s new Central manufacturing connectivity and data platform; Weidmuller USA's new open operating system, u-OS; a Digital Valve Controller featuring the Device™ technology; and more.

Maximizing Flexibility in Distributed I/O and Valve Systems

The ability to mix modules and terminals together in the system means that machine builders can install I/O and valves in the physical locations and orientations that make most sense to the overall machine design.

Best Practices When Selecting and Installing Surge Protection at Communications Sites

The digital transformation reshaping our world has made it easier to communicate with each other, but it has also made it costlier for companies to protect and maintain the equipment that makes that happen. Follow these sourcing tips and best practices.

New on the Market

See what's new on the market this month, including laser sensors from Micro-Epsilon, Coilcraft's isolation transformers, AXTAL's crystal oscillators, Endress+Hauser's 80 GHz radar sensors, Fairview Microwave's PIN-diode switches, and more.

Origami-Inspired Robot Uses Single Motor for Self-Folding and Movement

Centimeter-scale walking and crawling robots are in demand both for their ability to explore tight or cluttered environments and for their low fabrication costs. Pulling from origami-inspired construction, researchers have crafted a more simplified approach to the design and fabrication of these robots.

New Algorithm Keeps Drones from Colliding in Midair

When multiple drones are working together in the same airspace, perhaps spraying pesticide over a field of corn, there’s a risk they might crash into each other. To help avoid these costly crashes, MIT researchers developed a system called MADER in 2020.

Robust Serial Communications

Devices of all types are becoming more intelligent and may include native Ethernet. However, there are many opportunities where proven serial communications will remain the best choice for cost-effective communications.

Ultra-Low-Power Underwater Communication Device

MIT researchers have demonstrated the first system for ultra-low-power underwater networking and communication, which can transmit signals across kilometer-scale distances. This technique uses about one-millionth the power that existing underwater communication methods use.

How Much Do You Know About DC Power Supplies?

DC power supplies are ubiquitous in the modern electronic age. All electronic devices need DC power. Although our smart phones, for example, use batteries, those batteries need to be recharged using a DC power supply. How much do you know about DC power supplies?

Wearable Device Makes Memories and Powers Up with The Flex of a Finger

Researchers have invented an experimental wearable device that generates power from a user’s bending finger and can create and store memories, in a promising step...

New Modeling Approach Helps to Understand Faults in the Modern Electric Grid

Researchers at the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory are leading the way in understanding the effects of electrical faults in the modern U.S....

2023 Create the Future Design Contest

The Create the Future Design Contest, launched in 2002 by SAE Media Group, recognizes and rewards engineering innovations that benefit humanity, the environment, and the economy. The annual contest draws product designs from engineers, students, and entrepreneurs worldwide.