Mechanical Components

Briefs: AR/AI

Acoustic Monitoring of Laser Welds

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

Products: Imaging

New Products: September 2020 Sensor Technology

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

Application Briefs: Imaging

USB and GigE Connectivity for Modern Machine Vision

Learn the USB3 and GigE vision standards, how they keep pace with imaging technologies, and how augmenting the cabling is critical for optimal performance.

Briefs: Photonics/Optics

Spider Silk Can Create Lenses Useful for Biological Imaging

One unexpected application for spider silk is its use in the creation of biocompatible lenses.

Blog: Aerospace

Scientist Proposes Life on Mars, Below the Surface

Although life has not been found on Mars just year, a researcher from NYU thinks there could be life...under it.

Application Briefs: Mechanical & Fluid Systems

Valve Leakage Detection in Industrial Pumps

As an integral part of onshore and offshore drilling, mud pumps circulate drilling fluids to facilitate drilling oil and natural gas wells. Mud pumps stabilize pressure and support the well during...

Briefs: Motion Control

Gripper Handles Freely Moving Cables

The gripper’s soft, sensitive fingers could enable robots to help with tying knots, wire shaping, or surgical suturing.

Briefs: Motion Control

Flexible Feet Help Robots Walk Faster

This technology can help robots walk up to 40 percent faster on uneven terrain such as pebbles and wood chips.

Products: Test & Measurement

New Products: August 2020 Motion Design

Positioning devices, vibration transmitters, brushless DC motors, and more.

Briefs: Aerospace

Fluid-Filled Frequency-Tunable Mass Damper

Applications include absorbers, tuned mass dampers, harmonic absorbers, and seismic dampers.

Briefs: Energy

Electrolyte Design Improves Anode Capacity in Lithium-Ion Batteries

The battery design increases the number of possible cycles from tens to more than 100 with little degradation.

Briefs: Electronics & Computers

Tough, Solid Electrolyte Battery Component

Using ceramic material and graphene, the toughness of solid-state lithium-ion batteries can be doubled.

Products: Manufacturing & Prototyping

New on the Market: August 2020

Data storage boards, modular plugs, equipment enclosures, and more.

Briefs: Electronics & Computers

Selecting Electrical Safety Relay Modules for Optimal Performance

New safety relay modules follow updated standards to give designers more options for a tailored electrical safety implementation.

Briefs: Test & Measurement

Nanosensors for Real-Time Plant Health Monitoring

This approach allows scientists to study the communication within plants, providing valuable insights to improve crop yields.

Briefs: Sensors/Data Acquisition

Magnetic Force Manages Pain

This gel-like material leads a path toward “mechanoceuticals.”

Briefs: Sensors/Data Acquisition

Wraparound Sensors

These sensors monitor electrical loads from household appliances to support grid operations.

Blog: Mechanical & Fluid Systems

Watch: NASA's Mars 2020 Sample Return Briefing

Watch below as NASA experts review how they plan to return samples from the surface of Mars back to Earth.

Blog: Imaging

Answering Your Questions: How Does the Mars Rover Camera Stay Clean?

The Perseverance rover has an almost human-like way of keeping its lenses clean.

Blog: Mechanical & Fluid Systems

Answering Your (Mars 2020) Questions: Will the Perseverance Rover Carry Around NASA's Mars Helicopter?

The Mars rover Perseverance has a helicopter. Will the rover have to carry it around?

Briefs: Transportation

Electrohydraulically Actuated Valve Train

The new technology demonstrates a 20 percent savings in fuel in typical passenger car low-load operating conditions.

Briefs: Materials

Soft Prosthetic Hand Feels Surroundings via Stretchable Optical Waveguides

Sensors in the hand can actually detect forces being transmitted through the thickness of the robot.

Briefs: Manufacturing & Prototyping

Multi-Polymer Filament Increases Production from Low-Cost Printers

The new filament allows low-cost printers to produce parts with mechanical properties competitive with injection molded plastics.

Briefs: Mechanical & Fluid Systems

SMART Solar Sail

The miniaturized, autonomous, reconfigurable solar sail is capable of very fine maneuvering by small surface deformation.

Articles: Semiconductors & ICs

Products of Tomorrow: July 2020

NASA's Dry Goods Delivery System, a lung-heart sensor on a chip, and more.