Mechanical/Mechatronics

Transportation

Stay updated on the innovations in transportation technologies. Explore the articles and technical briefs on electrification and autonomous driving that have impacted transportation design and engineering.

Stories

Briefs: Manufacturing & Prototyping

Built-In Vibration Control to Soundproof Spaces

Vibration-absorbing resonators could better soundproof walls and make vehicles more streamlined.

Blog: Manufacturing & Prototyping

Feature-Based Modeling vs. Bill of Materials (BOM)

A reader asks an industry expert from IBM: How is feature-based modeling better than a bill of materials?

INSIDER: Energy

Breathing New Life into Fuel Cells

The demand for clean energy has never been higher, and it has created a global race to develop new technologies as alternatives to fossil fuels. Fuel cells are among the promising green energy technologies....

Products: Sensors/Data Acquisition

New Products

Automotive camera monitors, curved CMOS sensors, fiber lasers, and more.

Articles: Energy

New Materials Move Li-Ion Batteries Toward the Solid-State Endgame

A new generation of lithium-ion batteries is poised to improve electric vehicle range and affordability.

Articles: Sensors/Data Acquisition

Mapping Performance Variations to See How Lithium-Metal Batteries Fail

Brookhaven National Laboratory scientists have identified the primary cause of failure in a state-of-the-art lithium-metal battery.

Articles: Energy

Advancing Battery Technology: THE 2021 BATTERY SHOW Preview

The Battery Show North America is a forum for advanced battery technology for electric and hybrid vehicles, utility and renewable energy support, portable electronics, medical technology, military, and telecommunications.

Special Reports: Transportation

Test & Measurement - September 2021

An automated CT system “sees” deep inside electronics to spot hidden defects...a NASA moon mission spinoff now monitors forest fire emissions...a novel way to test bonded structures in critical aerospace...

Briefs: Materials

Abnormal Grain Growth Suppression in Aluminum Alloys

Applications include manufacturing structural components for aerospace vehicles, cars, trucks, trains, ships, and submarines.

Briefs: Transportation

Hybrid Membrane Doubles the Lifetime of Rechargeable Batteries

The membrane prevents dendrite formation, at least doubling the lifetime of a lithium-metal battery.

Articles: Test & Measurement

An Immersive Solution for Thermally Safer EV Batteries

An R&D project indirectly leads to potentially greater power density, EV range, and battery life.

Special Reports: Energy

Power Electronics - August 2021

This compendium of recent articles from the editors of Tech Briefs and Aerospace & Defense Technology looks at the latest advances in power electronics and energy storage for a range of applications including...

Briefs: Mechanical & Fluid Systems

Soft Mate Lifting Device

This below-the-hook device enables gentle crane placement to decrease the risk of property damage.

Briefs: Transportation

Shape Memory Alloy Tubular Structure

Applications include vehicle and aircraft tires, sports helmets, military equipment, and seals and couplings.

Briefs: Transportation

System Identifies Battery Materials for Recycling

The Battery Identity Global Passport could be accessible as a scannable QR code or a computer chip.

Briefs: Transportation

Process Creates Electrocatalyst for Hydrogen Fuel Cells

This technology can be used for large production volumes such as fuel-cell-powered vehicles.

Briefs: Motion Control

Periodic Wave Disc Brake Rotor

The lightweight brake rotor design with high heat dissipation uses novel surface cooling technology.

Briefs: Robotics, Automation & Control

Safer, Longer-Lasting, Solid-State Batteries

Solid-state batteries offer a higher level of safety and potentially longer life than lithium-ion batteries.

Articles: Imaging

Products of Tomorrow

A new COVID test, a "ChromoUpdate," and NASA's brake rotor.

Blog: Transportation

Self-Driving Model Navigates a Tough Traffic Problem: Narrow Streets

A self-driving algorithm guides an autonomous vehicle through a traffic scenario that many of us know well: navigating traffic on a crowded, narrow street.

Question of the Week: Automotive

Will Interstate Power Coils Charge Electric Vehicles as They Drive?

Our “Q&A” article in the July issue of Tech Briefs highlighted the work of Dr. Burak Ozpineci from Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Ozpineci and his team are building a wireless power-transmission system that charges an electric vehicle as it drives along the road.

Special Reports: Software

Vehicle Electrification - July 2021

GM electrifies the new Corvette...a French nanomaterials company aims for a 5-minute EV recharge...Triumph unveils a radical new electric sportbike design. These are just a few of the innovations you'll read...