Sensors

Thin, Stretchable Biosensors Could Make Surgery Safer

Researchers formulated and synthesized the bio-inks, with the goal of creating create an ultra-soft, thin, and stretchable material for biosensors that is capable of seamlessly interfacing with the surface of organs.

Ultrathin Pressure Sensor Attaches to Skin

By recording the way in which hands perform various tasks, it could help researchers in fields such as sports and medical science as well as neuroengineering.

Sensor Breakthrough Paves the Way for a Map of the World Under Earth’s Surface

The quantum gravity gradiometer was used to find a tunnel buried outdoors in real-world conditions one meter below the ground surface.

Future Wearable Health Tech Could Measure Gases Released from Skin

Scientists have taken the first step to creating the next generation of wearable health monitors.

Image Sensor Improvements for Enhanced Machine Vision

These latest nanostructured components, integrated on image sensor chips, are most likely to have the biggest impact in multimodal imaging.

New Smart Masks Can Monitor Health

A researcher at MU College of Engineering at the University of Missouri is developing a smart mask that could monitor someone’s physiological status based on the nature of the person’s cough.

A New Kind of Transistor — A Conductive Polymer

A new material holds promise for the next generation of organic electronics.

Smart Implants to Monitor Healing

Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh Swanson School of Engineering are creating patient-specific 3D-printed smart metamaterial implants that double as sensors to monitor spinal healing.

3D Printing of Organic Electronics

Professor Mohammad Reza Abidian of the Cullen College of Engineering — foresees the future production of micro-scale organic electronics via multiphoton 3D printers.

Organic Bipolar Transistor Developed at the Tu Dresden

Professor Karl Leo has been thinking about the realization of this component for more than 20 years, now it has become reality: His research group at the Institute for Applied Physics...

Stamp It: MIT Looks to Change the Ultrasound Game

The stamp-sized ultrasound sticker technology produces higher-resolution images over a longer duration.

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...

Robotic Arms Connected Directly to Brain of Partially Paralyzed Man Allows Him to Feed Himself

Two robotic arms — a fork in one hand, a knife in the other — flank a seated man, who sits in front of a table, with a piece of cake on a...

Product of the Month

Product of the Month: August 2022 Tech Briefs

Columbia School of Engineering and Applied Science

Columbia University is a private Ivy League research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Church in Manhattan, Columbia, is the...

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...

Charting a Safe Course Through a Highly Uncertain Environment

An autonomous spacecraft exploring the far-flung regions of the universe descends through the atmosphere of a remote exoplanet. The vehicle, and the researchers who programmed...

Where is Sensor Technology Headed? Look in the Mirror

Sensor technology design and manufacturing demands continue to rise to the needs of our continuously connected world.

Roboticists Go Off Road to Compile Data That Could Train Self-Driving ATVs

Researchers from Carnegie Mellon University took an all-terrain vehicle on wild rides through tall grass, loose gravel, and mud to gather data about how the ATV...

What Can Engineers Learn from Nature?

A number of the engineers I’ve interviewed have taken their inspirations from nature. As one said to me, nature has been evolving and perfecting its designs over thousands of years — we should take...

New Silicon Nanowires Could Speed Up Computer Processors

Scientists at Berkeley Lab have discovered a physical phenomenon that is the basis for a new material that has 150% better thermal conductivity than conventional materials used in...

LEGO-Like Artificial Intelligence Chip

Imagine a more sustainable future, where cellphones, smartwatches, and other wearable devices don’t have to be shelved or discarded for a newer model. Instead, they could be upgraded with the latest...

Powerful Family of Two-Dimensional Materials

A team from the Tulane University School of Science and Engineering has developed a new family of two-dimensional materials that researchers say has promising applications, including in advanced...

How to Measure 20 Million Volts

As I was scrolling through research lab press releases for a Q&A column, one caught my eye: “Remote High-Voltage Sensor Unveiled at Sandia Gamma Ray Lab.” High voltage is not the sexiest of technology...

A Smartwatch-Based System Detects Heat Strain

A new device from Lincoln Laboratory can now alert trainees when they are heading toward injury. The device continuously estimates a person’s core body temperature to determine their risk level...

Materials for Next-Generation LED-Based Data Communications

Light-emitting diode (LED)-based communications techniques allow computing devices, including cellphones, to communicate with one another using infrared light. However, LED techniques...