Materials & Manufacturing

A Next-Generation Space Suit for Artemis III

In October 2024, Axiom Space and Prada revealed the flight design of the Axiom Extravehicular Mobility Unit spacesuit that will be used for NASA's Artemis III mission. The outer-layer design and materials work was jointly developed starting when the two industry leaders came together, blending creativity and engineering to enhance the next-generation spacesuit design. Read on to learn more.

My Opinion: Quantum Computing Is Coming But Has This Engineer Puzzled

My Opinion: Quantum computing is coming but has this engineer puzzled. As we celebrate 2025, the International Year of Quantum Science and Technology, I find that thinking about these things from an engineer’s point of view is quite challenging.

Nimble Dimples: Agile Underwater Vehicles Inspired by Golf Balls

A spherical prototype that can change its surface from smooth to dimpled, cuts through drag and generates lift. Underwater or aerial vehicles with dimples like golf balls...

A More-Efficient, Less-Wasteful 3D-Printing Method

MIT engineers have developed a resin that turns into two different kinds of solids, depending on the type of light that shines on it: Ultraviolet light cures the resin into a highly resilient solid, while visible light turns the same resin into a solid that is easily dissolvable in certain solvents.

Extreme Environments, Precise Solutions: Technologies Enabling Space Vehicles Advancement

John Mark, Space & Defense Business Manager, Omniseal Solutions, is the guest on this sponsored interview episode of the Aerospace & Defense Technology podcast to explain the role that advanced materials and sealing technologies provide in space vehicles.

Substrate Engineering to Improve Power Electronics

As the growth in global electricity need and supply continues to accelerate, efficient power electronics will be key to improving grid efficiency, stability, integration, and resilience for...

Diamond Quantum Imaging Can Enable Next-Gen Power Electronics

Improving energy conversion efficiency in power electronics is vital for a sustainable society, with wide-bandgap semiconductors like GaN and SiC power devices offering...

How Much Do You Know About Wireless Industrial Systems?

Automated factories are networks of separate but interconnected systems. The interconnections have been mostly hard-wired in the past but now we’re seeing more wireless systems. How much do you know about wireless industrial systems? Take this quiz and see.

How Reusable Rockets Are Transforming Space Travel

Reusable rockets represent a significant step forward in space exploration and commercial space travel, offering the potential for more affordable, accessible, and frequent space missions. Test your knowledge about reusable rockets in this quiz.

Careful Heating Unlocks Unprecedented Sensitivity to Pressure in Semiconductor Materials

Stronger cell phone signals, more accurate sensors, and cleaner energy may be achieved by adding a simple step to the industrial fabrication process of...

World's First Petahertz-Speed Phototransistor in Ambient Conditions

What if ultrafast pulses of light could operate computers at speeds a million times faster than today's best processors? A team of scientists, including researchers from...

Products of Tomorrow

See the products of tomorrow, including a new type of optical receiver able to restore chaotic signals in free-space optical communication links distorted by atmospheric turbulence; a battery that can take any shape; and a new technology for an aircraft configuration that utilizes a strut/truss-braced oblique variable-sweep wing mounted on a constant cross-section geometry fuselage.

A New Method to Design Better Metallic Materials

In a new study, researchers from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign reported that automated high-resolution electron imaging can capture the nanoscale deformation events that lead to metal failure and breakage at the origin of metal failure. Read on to learn more.

Carbon Fiber-Carbon Nanotube Yarn Hybrid Reinforcement

Innovators at the NASA Glenn Research Center have developed a toughened hybrid reinforcement material made from carbon fiber and carbon nanotube (CNT) yarn for use in polymer matrix composites (PMCs). The new material improves toughness and damping properties of PMCs, enhancing impact resistance, fatigue life, as well as structural longevity. Read on to learn more.

Soft Sensing, Self-Healing Materials for Robotic Hands and Arms

These materials can detect when they are damaged, take the necessary steps to temporarily heal themselves, and then resume work.

Single-Step 3D-Printing Process to Build Robots

The piezoelectric “meta-bot” is capable of propulsion, movement, sensing, and decision-making.

Fast-Charging, Long-Running, Bendable Supercapacitor

This technology has potential as a portable power supply in several applications, including electric vehicles, cellphones, and wearable technology.

Ultra-Sensitive Sensor with Gold Nanoparticle Array

Researchers have developed a new type of sensor platform using a gold nanoparticle array. The sensor is made up of a series of gold disk-shaped nanoparticles on a glass slide. When an infrared laser is pointed at a precise arrangement of the particles, they start to emit unusual amounts of ultraviolet light. Read on to learn more.

Gaining a Competitive Edge with Functionally Integrated Components

Machine builders are under intense pressure to keep engineering time in line with shorter delivery schedules and materials, assembly, and inventory cost considerations. Machine builders are also striving to make equipment smaller, lighter, higher-performing, and easier for their customers to maintain. While functionally integrated products have been available for a long time, they are more vital today than ever. And there are more options available to provide solutions. Read on to learn more.

How SmartCap Uses AI-Powered Robots to Manufacture Steel Truck Cap Systems

For the team at SmartCap, building top-notch gear for outdoor adventurers isn’t just a business — it’s a passion driven by their own love for the wild. But as demand for their rugged, modular truck caps soared after their move to North America in 2022, they hit a snag: How do you ramp up production without sacrificing the meticulous quality you are known for, all while navigating a tough labor market? Their answer? Read on to find out.

Wire Feed Laser Welding for Battery Pack Aluminum Enclosure Manufacture in EVs

Lightweight aluminum is a top choice for designing and manufacturing battery pack enclosures due to its durability and ability to enhance vehicle performance. While welding 6000-series aluminum alloys can be challenging, advanced methods like laser welding with filler wire effectively create strong, airtight joints while addressing issues like porosity and cracking. Read on to learn more.