Mechanical/​Mechatronics

Sensors that Operate at High Temperatures and in Extreme Environments

Extreme environments in several critical industries — aerospace, energy, transportation, and defense — require sensors to measure and monitor numerous factors under...

Flow-Through Transducer for Wind Tunnel Analysis

To enable key aerospace R&D applications, NASA’s Langley Research Center has developed a single-piece flow-through transducer design capable of measuring all six components adding in the Axial force measurement.

Extractor for Chemical Analysis of Lipid Biomarkers in Regolith (ExCALiBR)

NASA Ames Research Center has developed a novel technology that provides an autonomous, miniaturized fluidic system for lipid analysis.

Micromotor Winding Technology Uses AI to Improve Motor Performance

Achievable coils increase the capabilities of the micromotors.

Chemically Driven Wheels “Morph” Into Gears

A catalytic reaction causes a two-dimensional, chemically coated sheet to spontaneously morph into a three-dimensional gear.

Hydrodynamic Effect Helps Motorized Objects Navigate Inclines

The tiny motors mimic how rock climbers navigate inclines.

Robot Fish Makes Splash with Motion Breakthrough

A robot fish fitted with a twisted and coiled polymer (TCP) to drive it forward, a lightweight low-cost device that relies on temperature change to generate movement, could make underwater...

Self-Folding Origami Machines Powered by Chemical Reaction

A Cornell-led collaboration harnessed chemical reactions to make microscale origami machines self-fold — freeing them from the liquids in which they usually function, so they can...

Many-Legged Robots Can Traverse Difficult Landscapes

Inspired by centipedes, Georgia Tech researchers have developed many-legged robots that can move across uneven surfaces without any additional sensing or control technology.

Fluid-Driven Actuators Enable Complex Motions in Soft Robots

A team of researchers has designed a new system of fluid-driven actuators that enable soft robots to achieve more complex motions. The researchers accomplished this by taking advantage of the very thing — viscosity — that had previously stymied the movement of such robots.

Artificial Skin Provides Haptic Feedback

The skin could help rehabilitation and enhance virtual reality by instantaneously adapting to a wearer's movements.

Products of Tomorrow

See the Products of Tomorrow, including silicon photonic MEMS, a micro-robotic arm, and more.

Model Simulates Variable Flap Stiffness for the Best Lift

There is extensive research on how a fixed-position flap affects lift in the realm of fluid-structure interaction. However, taking the conversation in a new direction, researchers at...

Autonomous Bus Sounds: It’s All About When, Not How

The town of Linköping, Sweden, has a small fleet of autonomous electric buses that carry riders along a predetermined route. The bright vehicles, emblazoned with the tagline, “Ride...

Self-Navigating Catamaran Can Carry Cargo into War Zones

A self-navigating, cargo-carrying sailboat designed by a team of Rice University engineering students could be a sustaining link for Marines hunkered down on shore during war. The...

Inflatable, Shape-Changing Spinal Implants Could Help Treat Severe Pain

The device uses soft robotics, ultra-thin electronics, and microfluidics.

Achieving Automation Conveyor Positioning Accuracy

As manufacturing automation rapidly advances, conveyors are not only being used for transportation but also accurate material (or product) placement.

Simulated Terrible Drivers Cut the Time and Cost of AV Testing by a Factor of One Thousand

A new virtual testing environment breaks the ‘curse of rarity’ for autonomous vehicle emergency decision-making.

Feathered Robotic Wing Paves Way for Flapping Drones

Birds fly more efficiently by folding their wings during the upstroke, according to a recent study led by Lund University in Sweden. The results could mean that wing-folding is the next...

3D-Printed Revolving Devices Can Sense How They Are Moving

A new system enables makers to incorporate sensors into gears and other rotational mechanisms with just one pass in a 3D printer.

5 Questions with DART's Dr. Cambioni

A Tech Briefs interview with DART team member Dr. Saverio Cambioni.

New Compound Withstands Extreme Heat and Electricity for Next-Generation Energy Storage

Flexible polymers made with a new generation of the Nobel-winning “click chemistry” reaction find use in capacitors and other applications.

Are Agricultural Robots the Future of Farming?

Labor shortages have caused farmers and food manufacturers to increasingly utilize agricultural robots for farming. Take this quiz to learn more.

Mech Suit Gives Humans 50X Strength

The all-terrain walking mech’s aim is to give humans the size and strength of giants. It does just that — times 50.

Test Your Knowledge About the Artemis Generation

Do you know the Artemis generation? Test your knowledge about performance and crew-related aspects of the Artemis generation.

Viscosity Enables Complex Motions for Soft Robots

Untethered soft robots are poised to become even more agile and controlled.