Industrial Controls & Automation

Blog: Internet of Things

A Solar Alternative: How to Power Devices with Indoor Light

A new material is especially effective at absorbing indoor light and converting it into usable energy.

Briefs: Imaging

Radar Enables Cars to Spot Hazards Around Corners

Using radar commonly deployed to track speeders and fastballs, the automated system “sees” around corners to spot oncoming traffic and pedestrians.

Briefs: Mechanical & Fluid Systems

Nature-Inspired Sensors Could Help Autonomous Machines See Better

The sensors can be built into the shells of aircraft, cars, or other machines.

Products: Mechanical & Fluid Systems

New on the Market: November 2020

VOC sensors, panel-mount connectors, 3D printing cloud software, and more.

Articles: Manufacturing & Prototyping

Products of Tomorrow: November 2020

A smartwatch that tracks medication levels, a flexible LED, and NASA's "Micro-Organ" device platform.

Application Briefs: Test & Measurement

Giant Telescope Construction Viewed Through an Industrial Lens

Once installed at Las Campanas Observatory in the Chilean Andes, the Giant Magellan Telescope (GMT) will introduce incredible opportunities for astrophysics.

Products: Test & Measurement

New Products: November 2020 Photonics & Imaging Technology

Multi-sensor imaging systems, eyesafe laser finders, machine vision algorithms, and more.

Articles: Sensors/Data Acquisition

Megapixel Photon-Counting Camera Technology

See what kinds of applications are possible when you can literally see light propagating through space.

Application Briefs: Imaging

Measuring Layer Thickness Using a Microscope

With Nikon's Layer Thickness software module, comprehensive information about a specimen is obtained more quickly than if an operator is making all the measurements by hand.

Blog: Manufacturing & Prototyping

Woodworking, Simplified: New Software Aids in Design

An interactive software being developed at the University of Tokyo allows architects and furniture makers with little experience in woodworking to to design and build structurally sound wood joints.

Articles: Imaging

Simple Robot Vision Tools Support Complex Applications

New collaborative robot-based vision systems are changing how manufacturers can inspect their parts.

Briefs: Energy

AI Software Enables Real-Time 3D Printing Quality Assessment

The software assesses the quality of parts in real time, without the need for expensive characterization equipment.

Briefs: Photonics/Optics

Wavy Surfaces for Better Light Control

This method could impact optical technologies such as smartphone cameras, biosensors, or autonomous vision for robots and self-driving cars.

Briefs: Electronics & Computers

System Eases Networking Lag in Massive IoT Devices

“EasyPass” would enable smart warehouses, automated factories, and more to operate without delays.

Articles: Sensors/Data Acquisition

Open Controllers Simplify Automation Systems

By consolidating tasks traditionally performed by multiple devices into a single, high-performing controller, manufacturers can improve operations.

INSIDER: Imaging

Researchers Have Developed the World’s Smallest Ultrasound Detector

Researchers at Helmholtz Zentrum München and the Technical University of Munich (TUM) have developed the world’s smallest ultrasound detector. Based on...

Products: Test & Measurement

New on the Market: September 2020

Foam gasket tapes, data analytics software, ceramic tape, and more.

Application Briefs: Sensors/Data Acquisition

Force/Torque Sensor Helps Rover Sample Mars

See how one company reached out to NASA with an offer to develop a custom sensor for the Mars 2020 mission rover.

Articles: Sensors/Data Acquisition

Executive Forum: Machine Learning & AI

Tech Briefs posed questions to machine learning/AI industry execs to get their opinions on platform selection, data interpretation, and more.

Articles: Sensors/Data Acquisition

Cost-Effective Printed Sensors for the IoT/IIoT

With accelerated time from design to production, specialized foil sensor arrays will be expanding to many new areas.

Application Briefs: Test & Measurement

Smart Sensors for Hazardous Areas

Smart sensors for hazardous areas monitor essential assets, such as motors and pumps.

Articles: Internet of Things

Long-life Batteries for the IIoT

Choosing the right battery will save trouble and expense in the long run.

Application Briefs: Manufacturing & Prototyping

3D Ultrasonic Sensors Support New Industrial Applications

These sensors will improve autonomous technologies in the industrial environment, like AGVs or forklifts.

Articles: Photonics/Optics

Camera Trends: Where We Are Now and What to Expect in the Near Future

The COVID crisis is propelling the camera industry toward disruptive transformation.

Application Briefs: Test & Measurement

Measuring Surface Roughness with an Atomic Force Microscope

Thin films and engineered surfaces are used in a myriad of applications including semiconductor electronics, data storage, and precision optics. In many cases, surface roughness and...