Sensors & Test

Sensors/Data Acquisition

This is your resource for developments in smart sensor systems and data acquisition. Browse technical briefs, articles, and white papers on advanced applications in transducer technologies, detector systems, data acquisition, and sensor-related technologies.

Stories

Briefs: Manufacturing & Prototyping

Compact 3D LiDAR Imaging System

A silicon chip provides a low-cost solution to help machines see the world clearly.

Briefs: Nanotechnology

Miniature Lung-Heart Sensor on a Chip

A tiny sensor chip records multiple lung and heart signals along with body movements.

Articles: Test & Measurement

Vote for Tech Briefs Product of the Year 2021

These 12 products are the nominees for the 2021 Tech Briefs Readers’ Choice Product of the Year.

UpFront: Wearables

UpFront: December 2021

NASA's satellite data reveals the pandemic's effect on our atmosphere, and a team of shoebox-sized rover scouts is prepped for the lunar surface.

Products: Electronics & Computers

New on the Market: December 2021

Rugged laptops, DC-DC converters, CMOS sensors, and more.

Briefs: Sensors/Data Acquisition

Optical Biosensor Detects Toxins

The portable device can differentiate among bacteria, viruses, and other biothreats.

Briefs: Test & Measurement

Multispectral Imaging, Detection, and Active Reflectance (MiDAR)

This is a novel remote sensing instrument with myriad applications.

Briefs: Sensors/Data Acquisition

Approach Makes Unmanned Agents Self-Sufficient

UAVs can land on moving unmanned ground vehicles without GPS.

Briefs: Communications

Sensor Film for Aerospace

The film monitors how well aircraft and spacecraft withstand the mechanical stresses of flight.

Briefs: Materials

Camera Captures Images of Interior of Solid Objects

The camera combines lasers, computers, and terahertz waves to see “unseen” details.

Facility Focus: Sensors/Data Acquisition

Facility Focus: Purdue University College of Engineering

Purdue University is helping to create better battery monitoring, stretchable biosensors, allergen detectors, and more.

Briefs: AR/AI

Adapter Makes All Headphones Intelligent

“Dumb” headphones are made smart by turning them into sensors.

Briefs: RF & Microwave Electronics

Thin-Film, High-Frequency Antenna Array for Wireless Communications

The phased array antenna based on large-area electronics technology could enable many uses of emerging 5G and 6G wireless networks.

Briefs: Motion Control

Autonomous Robot Opens Doors

It can also find the nearest electric wall outlet to recharge without human assistance.

Briefs: Motion Control

Computational Model Enables Robots to Learn New Concepts

The model allows robots to ask clarifying questions to soldiers.

Briefs: Photonics/Optics

Inductive Non-Contact Position Sensor

Potential uses include MEMS accelerometers, vibration monitoring, and other precision motion control applications.

Briefs: Motion Control

Four-Legged Swarm Robots

The multi-legged robots are capable of maneuvering in challenging environments.

Products: Photonics/Optics

New Products

Motors, suspension arms, slit couplings, and more.

INSIDER: Sensors/Data Acquisition

Non-Contact Tip/Tilt Sensor

NASA Kennedy Space Center developed the Inductive Non-Contact Position Sensor for motion control applications. The sensor was designed to monitor the precise movements of an optical inspection system that...

Articles: Semiconductors & ICs

2021 OEM Photonics & Imaging Directory

See top suppliers and manufacturers in over 20 categories, including high-speed cameras, sensors, and optical components.

INSIDER: Photonics/Optics

NASA’s Webb Will Join Forces with Event Horizon Telescope to Reveal Milky Way’s Supermassive Black Hole

On isolated mountaintops across the planet, scientists await word that tonight is the night. The complex coordination between dozens...

Blog: Transportation

Vehicle Simulation Software: How to Test Radar and Lidar in Snow

A reader asks a simulation expert: How do you compensate for the interaction of rain or snow storms on lidar sensors?

Articles: Sensors/Data Acquisition

Thermal Imaging — Making Hidden Details Visible

When even your iPhone can easily become a thermal imager, today's top cameras offer better sensitivity and measurement accuracy.

Briefs: Photonics/Optics

Unique Amplifier Could Change Optical Communication

Researchers at Chalmers University of Technology have developed an optical amplifier that they expect will revolutionize both space and fiber communication.