Materials & Manufacturing

A Flapping-Wing Robot Able to Perch

A flapping-wing robot that can land autonomously on a horizontal perch using a claw-like mechanism.

Strengthening Electron-Triggered Light Emission

The way electrons interact with photons of light is a key part of many modern technologies, from lasers to solar panels to LEDs. But the interaction is inherently a weak one because of a major...

Predicting the Failure of Crystalline Metallic Materials

Researchers have developed a theory that predicts the limits to which metals can be subjected to cyclic stress before failing.

Adding Vibrations to Electronics to Reduce Vibrations

A counterintuitive way to protect atomically thin electronics: adding vibrations to reduce vibration issues.

Sharp-Shooting Farm Robot

SprayBox can target individual weeds and crops at a 20-per-second rate and then spray them at a millimeter’s accuracy.

Inflatable Space Habitats Use Sensors Embedded in Webbing for Structural Health Monitoring

A novel approach is moving away from conventional structural health monitoring testing methods for inflatable space habitats in favor of using sensors embedded in the flexible structural restraint webbing layers.

5 Ws of a Self-Healing Robot

A team of researchers at Cornell Engineering has developed a soft robot that can detect when and where it was damaged — and then heal itself on the spot.

Product of the Month

The new Indicators feature true absolute sensor technology that minimizes the chance of data loss.

Faster Computation for Deep-Learning Applications

A new area of artificial intelligence called analog deep learning promises faster computation with a fraction of the energy usage.

Low-Cost, Customized Prosthesis Using 3D Printing

A novel 3D printed prosthetic arm is more comfortable, flexible, and cheaper than a conventional prosthesis.

Printed Thermoelectric Generators for Power Generation

Scientists have now developed three-dimensional component architectures based on novel, printable thermoelectric materials.

Electrolyte Additive Improves Battery Performance

The work could lead to improvements in the energy density of lithium batteries that power electric vehicles.

Multi-Layer Nuclear Thermionic Avalanche Cell

The invention consists of several NTAC layers arranged in a radially concentric series separated by a vacuum gap space.

Handheld Metal Tube Straightener

The tool straightens thin, malleable 4-mm metal tubes like those used for fuel, pneumatic, or hydraulic pressurized lines.

DIY Kits Enable Users to Build Their Own Peristaltic Pumps for Microfluidics

Users can download the design files to 3D print and assemble a customizable peristaltic pump.

Miniaturized Electrospray System

The technology was developed as an alternative to existing options for in-space aeroponic food production applications.

Inductive Non-Contact Position Sensor

Potential uses include MEMS accelerometers, vibration monitoring, and other precision motion control applications.

How Virtual Twins Help Optimize Supply Chains

Unprecedented and unrelenting market turbulence has shown that the old ways of supply chain planning and manufacturing production are outdated and vulnerable to disruption.

New Products

See the new products for January 2023, including a chip-on-tip video borescope camera, a line scan imaging system, and more.

SPIE Photonics West 2023 Preview

The conference will showcase the latest innovations in lasers, photonics, optics, optoelectronics, biophotonics, biomedical optics, 3D printing, and more.

Light-Analyzing ‘Lab on A Chip’ Opens Door to Widespread Use of Portable Spectrometers

The device is 100 percent electrically controllable regarding the colors of light it absorbs, which gives it massive potential for widespread usability.

Deformation Fingerprints Will Help Researchers Identify, Design Better Metallic Materials

Researchers report that automated high-resolution electron imaging can capture the nanoscale deformation events that lead to metal failure and breakage.

Compact MEMS-Based NIR Spectroscopy for Mobile Applications

This measurement technique is particularly useful for, but not limited to, samples containing organic compounds.

Top 10 Most-Read Tech Briefs Stories of 2022

See Tech Briefs’ most-read stories of 2022.

A Self-Healing Structural Composite

Jason Patrick, assistant professor of civil, construction, and environmental engineering at North Carolina State University, and his team have developed a new composite material for applications like airplane wings and wind turbine blades in which hidden defects and damage can self-heal.

Electromagnetic-Wave-Absorbing 6G Tech

The epsilon iron oxide nanoparticles could be continuously produced through a micrometer-sized powder manufacturing process.

What Do You Know About Factory Automation?

Factories are becoming more and more automated and integrated. How much do you know about what factory automation actually is? Take this quiz to find out.