Materials & Manufacturing

Blog: Aerospace

NASA's 'VITAL' Ventilator: A Choice Between Licensing and Open-Source

As Brazil begins mass-producing a NASA-developed ventilator, a Tech Briefs reader asks why NASA didn't go open-source.

INSIDER: Photonics/Optics

Scientists Use Photons as Threads to Weave Novel Forms of Matter

New research from the University of Southampton has discovered a way to bind two negatively charged electron-like particles which could create opportunities to form novel...

INSIDER: Energy

Researcher Gets Navy Grant to Develop Flexible, Printed Solar Cells

University of North Texas professor Anupama Kaul straddles the line between electrical engineering and materials science, which puts her in the perfect place to develop...

INSIDER: Materials

Faster, More Efficient Energy Storage From Layered Materials

A team led by the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) developed a novel, integrated approach to track energy-transporting ions within an ultra-thin...

INSIDER: Design

Improved Battery Life for Wearable Electronic Devices

Researchers at the University of Warwick have found that asymmetric stresses within electrodes used in certain wearable electronic devices provides an important clue as to how to...

On-Demand Webinars: Medical

Conformal Coating Protection of Critical Medical Technologies

The reliability of critical components, systems, and devices takes top priority in today’s healthcare environment. With the continued development of highly sophisticated...

Briefs: Aerospace

Hummingbird Robot Uses AI to Maneuver in Tight Spaces

The robots could fly silently for covert operations and stay steady through turbulence.

Products: Data Acquisition

New on the Market: September 2020

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

NASA Spinoff: Aerospace

Printed Polymer Makes Integrated Airplane Parts

In 2019, NASA engineers test-fired a 3D-printed rocket engine combustion chamber.

Briefs: Sensors/Data Acquisition

Blinking Artificial Human Eye Replica for Disease Modeling and Drug Testing

This eye-on-a-chip can help treatment of dry eye disease.

Application Briefs: Mechanical & Fluid Systems

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.

Briefs: Manufacturing & Prototyping

Technology Integrates Electronics onto Physical Prototypes

In place of flat breadboards, 3D-printed CurveBoards enable easier testing of circuit design on electronics products.

Briefs: Manufacturing & Prototyping

4D Printing Creates Microneedles to Replace Hypodermics

Inspired by parasites, the tiny needles could help eliminate painful shots.

Briefs: Automotive

Electronics Cooling Using Additive Manufacturing

Additive manufacturing creates cooling solutions with sizes and shapes not previously possible.

Articles: Manufacturing & Prototyping

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: Manufacturing & Prototyping

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: Sensors/Data Acquisition

Using the IoT for Predictive Maintenance

Predictive maintenance is poised to become much more widely adopted, and that will help to boost productivity in a time when we really need it.

Briefs: Manufacturing & Prototyping

Acoustic Monitoring of Laser Welds

Empa researchers were able to demonstrate real-time acoustic monitoring of laser weld seams.

Application Briefs: Electronics & Computers

Smart Sensors for Hazardous Areas

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

Articles: Energy

Long-life Batteries for the IIoT

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

Application Briefs: Sensors/Data Acquisition

3D Ultrasonic Sensors Support New Industrial Applications

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

Products: Sensors/Data Acquisition

New Products: September 2020 Sensor Technology

Safety-critical MEMS, absolute pressure sensors, thermal imaging cameras, and more.

Briefs: Sensors/Data Acquisition

Engineers 3D-Print Sensors Onto Moving Organs

Designed to assist in robotic surgeries, biomedical devices can be printed in and on the human body.

Articles: Imaging

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: Data Acquisition

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...