Browse innovative developments in materials and manufacturing that significantly impact military, medical devices, automotive, and industrial manufacturing. Advances in plastics, metals, and composites are transforming 3D printing and rapid prototyping.
See the products of tomorrow, including a new material that can use sunlight and water to convert carbon dioxide into carbon monoxide; a novel design for solar-powered data centers that will orbit the Earth and could realistically scale to meet the growing demand for AI computing while reducing the environmental impact of data centers; and more.
Scientists are striving to discover new semiconductor materials that could boost the efficiency of solar cells and other electronics. But the pace of innovation is bottlenecked by the speed at which researchers can manually measure important material properties. A fully autonomous robotic system developed by MIT researchers could speed things up. Read on to learn more.
A team led by Professor Yan Lu, Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin, and Professor Arne Thomas, Technical University of Berlin, has developed a material that enhances the capacity and stability of lithium-sulfur batteries. Read on to learn more.
A valve developed by NASA Stennis Space Center consists of a solid piston floating in a medium to control the flow stream. The piston is designed to be axially and radially balanced within the flow stream whether the valve is in the open or closed position. This valve has many unique features and design advantages over conventional valve concepts. Read on to learn more.
A University of Houston engineer has developed a method to detect possible damage in concealed cold-formed steel construction framing materials hidden behind walls, without having to tear the walls open. Read on to learn more.
It's a challenge that today’s sensors do not work optimally in humid environments. Now, researchers at Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden, are presenting a new sensor that is well suited to humid environments — and actually performs better the more humid it gets. Read on to learn more about it.
Researchers have developed a flexible nylon-film device that generates electricity from compression and keeps working even after being run over by a car multiple times, opening the door to self-powered sensors on our roads and for other electronic devices. Read on to learn more.
Designing with plastics in medical devices isn’t straightforward. Surface energy, crystallinity, thermal expansion, and sterilization all require superior bond performance. This...
Why human expertise is driving the future of autonomy…how to implement predictive maintenance…automated pallet inspection separates good from bad. Read all about it in this compendium of...
In this compendium of articles from the editors of Tech Briefs and Aerospace & Defense Technology, learn how breakthroughs in materials science are enabling exciting new applications in defense...
In 2026, Tech Briefs is proudly celebrating its 50th Anniversary with a special September issue honoring five decades of innovation — reflecting on the legacy that shaped engineering and...
Metrology is fundamental to precision manufacturing, ensuring that products meet stringent quality and design specifications. Shop floor metrology – measurements applied directly within...
Selecting the right Threaded Insert for a 3D printed assembly is critical to achieving reliable performance. This White Paper explains how to evaluate material type, load requirements...
Custom machinery projects often fall victim to "perfectionism tax." When equipment specifications exceed actual operational needs, capital costs skyrocket...
Traditional desiccants take up space and can fail under vibration. Injection-molded desiccants offer a different approach—combining moisture adsorption with mechanical...
Struggling with friction, stiction, or tolerance stack-up in your medical devices? PTFE dry lubricants offer a proven way to reduce actuation force, improve consistency, and enhance performance,...
Application Briefs: Robotics, Automation & Control
Robotic biomanufacturing company Multiply Labs recently announced a landmark milestone in its mission to scale production of cell and gene therapies. The company is now leveraging NVIDIA’s open Isaac and GR00T technologies including advanced robotics simulation and perception, marking a turning point for an industry that has historically relied on manual, “artisanal” processes. Read on to learn more.
Researchers at Miguel Hernández University of Elche (UMH) in Spain have developed a hierarchical localization system that significantly improves robot positioning in large, changing environments. The method addresses one of the most challenging problems in mobile robotics: the so-called “kidnapped robot” problem, in which a robot loses knowledge of its initial pose after being moved, powered off, or displaced. Read on to learn more.
To address challenges and future-proof its clinical trial supply chain, Zuellig Pharma partnered with Hai Robotics to introduce intelligent automation at its new Clinical Trial Support Innovation Center. Read on to learn more.
Imagine a tiny robot, no bigger than a leaf, gliding across a pond’s surface like a water strider. One day, devices like this could track pollutants, collect water samples, or scout flooded areas too risky for people. Baoxing Xu, Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at the University of Virginia’s School of Engineering and Applied Science, is pioneering a way to build them. Read on to learn more.
Even in arid parts of the world, there is usually moisture in the air. This moisture could provide much-needed water for drinking and irrigation, but extracting water out of air is difficult. A new technology developed by KAUST researchers can consistently extract liters of water out of thin air each day without needing regular manual maintenance. Read on to learn more.
In this special feature, we asked three industry experts — Eric Carey, CTO, Teledyne DALSA, Brian Benoit, Director of Advanced Vision Products at Cognex, and Ron Jubis, President of Sales, North America and Managing Director of SICK, Inc.— to share their thoughts on the impact of AI on machine vision, emerging challenges and best practices, as well as the trustworthiness of AI-driven visual inspection.
MIT engineers have developed a technique to grow and peel ultrathin “skins” of electronic material. The method could pave the way for new classes of electronic devices, such as ultrathin wearable sensors, flexible transistors and computing elements, and highly sensitive and compact imaging devices. Read on to learn more.
A team of researchers is designing novel systems to capture water vapor in the air and turn it into liquid. University of Waterloo Professor Michael Tam and his Ph.D. students Yi Wang and Weinan Zhao have developed sponges or membranes with a large surface area that continually capture moisture from their surrounding environment. Read on to learn more.
Using waste to purify water may sound counterintuitive. But at TU Wien, this is exactly what has now been achieved: a special nanostructure has been developed to filter a widespread class of harmful dyes from water. Read on to learn more about it.
The world is hurtling rapidly toward a developed future, and carbon fiber-reinforced polymers (CFRPs) play a key role in enabling technological and industrial progress. However, recycling CFRPs presents a significant challenge, with waste management being a pressing issue. Now, a team of researchers has come up with a novel direct discharge electrical pulse method for efficiently recycling CFRPs. Read on to learn more about it.
A team at MIT is hoping to fortify coastlines with “architected” reefs — sustainable, offshore structures engineered to mimic the wave-buffering effects of natural reefs while also providing pockets for fish and other marine life. The team’s reef design centers on a cylindrical structure surrounded by four rudder-like slats. Read on to learn more about it.
Blog: Imaging
Podcasts: Information Technology
Quiz: Manned Systems
Articles: Design
Blog: Aerospace
Application Briefs: Connectivity
Webinars: Test & Measurement
Webinars: Electronics & Computers
Summits: Automotive
Webinars: Energy
Webinars: Software
Webinars: Motion Control
