Detectors

Artificial Skin Gives Robots a Sense of Touch

We tend to take our sense of touch for granted in everyday settings, but it is vital for our ability to interact with our surroundings. Imagine reaching into the fridge to grab an egg for...

Method Pinpoints Microscale Damage in Metal

The process predicts when and where microscopic cracks will occur before they become catastrophic.

Q&A: Artificial Skin Could Lead to a New Generation of Touch-Sensitive Robots

A team of engineers from the University of Glasgow led by Professor Ravinder Dahiya developed an artificial skin with a new type of processing system based on...

Product of the Month: August 2022 Tech Briefs

Product of the Month: August 2022 Tech Briefs

Filter Enhances Robot Vision on 6D Pose Estimation

Robots are good at making identical repetitive movements such as a simple task on an assembly line. But they lack the ability to perceive objects as they move through an environment. A...

Here's an Idea: A Future for Smart Fabrics

A team at Massachusetts Institute of Technology is adding function to fibers. We speak to MIT’s Dr. Yoel Fink about acoustic fabrics.

Sapphire Fiber Could Enable Cleaner Energy and Air-Travel

Researchers at Oxford University have used a sapphire optical fiber – a thread of industrially grown sapphire less than half a millimeter thick – that can withstand...

Material for the Next Generation of Smart Sensors

Scientists have developed color-changing, flexible photonic crystals that could be used to develop sensors that warn when an earthquake might strike next. The wearable, robust, and low-cost...

Portable Device Detects Foodborne Illness

Foodborne illness hits about one in six people in the United States every year from more than 31 recognized pathogens including E. coli O157:H7, a particularly harsh strain of E. coli. Researchers...

Handheld Measuring Device Distinguishes Between Methanol and Potable Alcohol

Methanol is sometimes referred to as ethanol's deadly twin. While the latter is the intoxicating ingredient in wine, beer, and liquor, the former is a chemical...

'Floating Sensors' Spread Like Dandelion Seeds

Dropped by a drone, the battery-free devices hover 100 meters in the air.

AI’s Inherent Limitations Call for an ‘In-Advance’ Safety Mindset

See what Ed Brown’s early days as a high-voltage power supplies designer tell him about today’s efforts with A.I.

5 High-Tech Materials That Sense and Detect

A variety of electronics and sensors are being integrated into today’s materials to spot a variety of parameters: from damage to a product design to stress on your heart.

Simplifying Sensor Fabrication with Adhesive Compounds

Epoxy and silicone compounds serve a critical role as adhesives in electronics.

Novel Biosensors Set to Revolutionize Brain-Controlled Robotics

A carbon-based biosensor could drive new innovations in brain-controlled robotics.

Electronic Skin Reacts to Pain

Artificial skin reacts to pain just like real skin, paving the way to better prosthetics, robotics, and noninvasive alternatives to skin grafts.

Sensors Driven by Machine Learning Sniff Out Gas Leaks

The ALFaLDS detection tool supports oil plants.

Sensors Integrated in Clothing Monitor Heart Rate

The device ultimately should be able to provide accurate signals from a person who is walking, running, or climbing stairs.

Wireless Smart Contact Lenses Detect Disease

These smart lenses can be used to diagnose and treat diabetes.

Ultra-Sensitive, Resilient Sensor for Smart Textiles

The Slinky-like sensor survives washing machines, cars, and hammers.

Material Detects COVID-19 Quickly and Accurately

Potential applications for a graphene atomic-level sensor include detecting COVID, ALS, and cancer.

Wearable Gas Sensor for Health and Environmental Monitoring

Applications include detection of chemical and biological agents as well as dangerous gases from vehicle emissions.

An Innovative Imaging Technique for Dynamic Optical Nanothermometry

A new imaging technique measures temperature in 2D.

With Functional Fibers, A Shirt Becomes a Valuable Microphone

The future of computing is in fabrics, says Prof, Yoel Fink from MIT.

EV vs. ICE: How Does Wire Harness Design Differ?

The wire harness is changing as vehicles become “computers on wheels.” A reader asks how electrification impacts the wiring harness.