Sensors/​Data Acquisition

Advanced Thermal Inspection with Pulsed Light Emitting Diodes (PLED) Technology

Engineers at NASA Langley Research Center have developed a cutting-edge thermal inspection technology that enhances defect detection on low-emissivity surfaces by eliminating false readings caused by infrared reflections. Read on to learn more.

Twisted Moiré Photonic Crystals

Researchers have developed an on-chip twisted moiré photonic crystal sensor that uses MEMS technology to control the gap and angle between the crystal layers in real time. The sensor can detect and collect detailed polarization and wavelength information simultaneously. Read on to learn more.

Sensitive Yet Tough Photonic Devices Are Now a Reality

Engineers at the University of California San Diego have achieved a long-sought milestone in photonics: creating tiny optical devices that are both highly sensitive and durable — two qualities that have long been considered fundamentally incompatible. Read on to learn more.

Next-Gen Automotive Semiconductors Are Critical for Level 5 Driverless Cars

The driverless robotaxis chauffeuring around San Francisco, and the advanced driver assistance features on more than half of new vehicles sold this year show just...

Tiny But Mighty: Next-Gen Transistors Hold Great Promise

As electronics become smaller, it is becoming increasingly difficult to continue scaling down silicon-based transistors. Now, a research team led by the Institute of Industrial...

Researchers Develop Recyclable, Healable Electronics

Between upgrades and breakdowns to cellphones, tablets, laptops, and appliances, so many electronic devices are getting tossed in the trash that they've taken on a name of their own:...

New Tech May Lead to Smaller, More Powerful Wireless Devices

A new class of synthetic materials could herald the next revolution of wireless technologies, enabling devices to be smaller, require less signal strength and use less power.

New Products

See the new products, including Bosch Rexroth’s space-optimized SMS screw-driven small modules; the updated capabilities of PI's PICMA® piezo stack actuator series via the introduction of the new PICMA® Plus actuators; Beckhoff's expanded MX-System control cabinet-free automation platform; and more.

Advanced Simulation Enables Better Robot-Object Interactions

A human clearing junk out of an attic can often guess the contents of a box simply by picking it up and giving it a shake, without the need to see what’s inside. Researchers from MIT, Amazon Robotics, and the University of British Columbia have taught robots to do something similar. Read on to learn more.

An AI System Empowers Robots with Human-Like Perception

Researchers from Duke University have developed a novel framework named WildFusion that fuses vision, vibration, and touch to enable robots to “sense” complex outdoor environments much like humans do. Read on to learn more.

A Low-Cost, Durable, Highly Sensitive Robotic Skin

Scientists have developed a low-cost, durable, highly-sensitive robotic ‘skin’ that can be added to robotic hands like a glove, enabling robots to detect information about their surroundings in a way that’s similar to humans.

Robots React to Danger Like Humans

In the midst of the co-development of artificial intelligence and robotic advancements, developing technologies that enable robots to efficiently perceive and respond to their surroundings like humans has...

Simulation-Based Pipeline Tailors Training Data for Dexterous Robots

When ChatGPT or Gemini give what seems to be an expert response to your burning questions, you may not realize how much information it relies on to give that reply. Like...

Meet SUPER: The Safety-Assured High-Speed Aerial Robot

The team has developed the Safety-Assured High-Speed Aerial Robot (SUPER), capable of flying at speeds exceeding 20 meters per second [about 45 miles per hour] and avoiding obstacles as thin as 2.5 millimeters [about 0.1 inch] — such as power lines or twigs — using solely onboard sensors and computing power.

How Much Do You Know About Transducers?

How much do you know about transducers? Find out with this quiz.

My Opinion: Quantum Computing Is Coming But Has This Engineer Puzzled

My Opinion: Quantum computing is coming but has this engineer puzzled. As we celebrate 2025, the International Year of Quantum Science and Technology, I find that thinking about these things from an engineer’s point of view is quite challenging.

Brain-Like Computer Steers Rolling Robot With 0.25 Percent of the Power Needed by Conventional Controllers

Analog computing is making a comeback with hardware that processes and stores information in the same location, similar to biological...

Careful Heating Unlocks Unprecedented Sensitivity to Pressure in Semiconductor Materials

Stronger cell phone signals, more accurate sensors, and cleaner energy may be achieved by adding a simple step to the industrial fabrication process of...

Your Skin Is Breathing — This New Wearable Device Can Measure It.

Northwestern University researchers have developed the first wearable device for measuring gases emitted from and absorbed by the skin. By analyzing these gases, the device...