Sensors & Test

Sensors for ‘Smart’ Wound Bandage Track Healing, Immune Response

Researchers from Skoltech and the University of Texas at Austin have presented a proof-of-concept for a wearable sensor that can track healing in sores, ulcers, and other kinds of chronic skin wounds, even without the need to remove the bandages. Read on to learn more.

An Innovative Sensing Platform for Ultrahigh Sensitivity in Conventional Sensors

New research unlocks the power of exceptional points (EPs) for advanced optical sensing. In a study published in Science Advances , a team showed that these unique EPs — specific conditions in systems where extraordinary optical phenomena can occur — can be deployed on conventional sensors to achieve a striking sensitivity to environmental perturbations. Read on to learn more.

A Step Toward More Accurate 3D Object Detection

Scientists have developed multi-modal 3D object detection methods that combine 3D LiDAR data with 2D RGB images taken by standard cameras. While the fusion of 2D images and 3D LiDAR data leads to more accurate 3D detection results, it still faces its own set of challenges, with accurate detection of small objects remaining difficult. Read on to learn more about it.

Nail Penetration Adapter for Li-Ion Battery Testing

Innovators at NASA Johnson Space Center have designed a pneumatic nail penetration trigger system that drives a Li-ion battery cell into thermal runaway using a tungsten nail. Read on to learn more.

How to Detect Battery Failures Quicker

Batteries in electric vehicles can fail quickly, sometimes catching fire without much warning. Sandia National Laboratories is working to detect these failures early and provide sufficient warning time to vehicle occupants. Read on to learn more about it.

Navigating the Challenges of Motor Commutation

Motor commutation involves the process of switching between motor phases to ensure smooth, continuous operation. In this article, we’ll dive into the importance of commutation, explain how it works, and discuss the challenges faced when trying to pair different motors and drives, especially across brands.

How Automakers Boost Quality via Servo-Electric Test Systems

Today, electrically actuated (servo-electric) test systems have emerged as a preferred alternative to servo-hydraulics that have traditionally been used. Michigan-based eMpulse Test Systems is a supplier of these advanced testing systems. Read on to learn more.

Ensuring the Quality of EV Batteries with CT-Scan Data Analysis and Visualization

Research and development aimed at optimizing both the technology and the cost of that most expensive of EV components — the battery — continues. Not only are the makers of current batteries under pressure to produce the highest-quality product, but they may also be considering how to participate and compete in the next-generations of these key components. Read on to learn more.

How Test Equipment Is Evolving to Keep Up with EV Batteries

Whatever technology is employed in the future, it is clear that battery test systems will continue to adapt to keep pace with changes in EV battery technology and production. Ensuring that you choose a future proof, scalable, and capable bi-directional DC source is critical in planning for testing success today and tomorrow. Read on to learn more.

For EV Safety Tests, AI Is Here to Help

It’s important to note that skepticism toward AI is reminiscent of past attitudes toward now-standard technologies. Thirty years ago, tools such as CFD were met with trepidation — an attitude defined by limited understanding. Today, engineers see them as indispensable. Similarly, adopting AI requires a shift in perspective and embracing its potential.

Thermal Management Lies at the Heart of EV Innovation

Along with rapid innovation in cooling methods, a major trend in EV thermal management is the use of technology to better design more thermally efficient vehicle architectures. AI and digital technologies have been major boons to the engineering toolkit for better design, helping to radically speed up system testing and development. Read on to learn more.

How Much Do You Know About Unattended Testing?

If we can remove clear indications that someone is being monitored, we are far more likely to get the information we seek. This is the basis for unattended testing, which is about as common as laboratory testing itself. So, how much do you know about unattended testing? Find out with this quiz.

Morphing Robot Turns Challenging Terrain to Its Advantage

From mountain goats that run up near-vertical rock faces to armadillos that roll into a protective ball, animals have evolved to adapt effortlessly to changes in their environment....

Breakthrough in High-Performance Oxide-Ion Conductors Using Rubidium

Oxide-ion conductors enable oxide ions (O2-) to be transported in solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs), which can run on diverse fuels beyond hydrogen, including natural gas,...

Power Line Test Bed Energizes Technologies for Increasing Grid Capacity

As population growth and extreme temperatures strain the United States power grid, utilities and equipment manufacturers are looking for ways to increase the amount of...

Products of Tomorrow

See the products of tomorrow, including paper-thin optical lenses simple enough to mass produce like microchips; a compact cooling technology that can pump away heat continuously using layers of flexing thin films; and a multilayered chip design that doesn’t require any silicon wafer substrates and works at temperatures low enough to preserve the underlying layer’s circuitry.

New on the Market

See what's new on the market, including electronic control products from NORD DRIVESYSTEMS; the new F-141 photonics alignment system from PI; InnoPhase IoT's expansion of its Talaria platform; Aerotech, Inc.'s HexGen® HEX150-125HL Miniature Hexapod; and more.

A Color-Based Sensor Emulates Skin’s Sensitivity

Jamie Paik and colleagues in the Reconfigurable Robotics Lab in EPFL’s School of Engineering have developed a sensor that can perceive combinations of bending, stretching, compression, and temperature changes, all using a robust system that boils down to a simple concept: color. Read on to learn more about it.

Brain-Inspired Wireless System Gathers Data from Salt-Sized Sensors

The Brown University research team created a novel approach for a wireless communication network that can efficiently transmit, receive, and decode data from thousands of microelectronic chips that are each no larger than a grain of salt. Read on to learn more about it.

“Living Bioelectronics” That Can Sense and Heal Skin

A team has created a prototype for what it calls “living bioelectronics” — a combination of living cells, gel, and electronics that can integrate with living tissue. The patches are made of sensors, bacterial cells, and a gel made from starch and gelatin. Tests in mice found that the devices could continuously monitor and improve psoriasis-like symptoms, without irritating skin. Read on to learn more.

Engineers Enable a Drone To Determine Its Position in the Dark and Indoors

In the future, autonomous drones could be used to shuttle inventory between large warehouses. A drone might fly into a semi-dark structure the size of several...

Design and Analysis Software Speeds Up X-59 Aircraft’s Nose Cone Optimization

Collier Aerospace’s design and analysis software enabled Swift Engineering to optimize nose cone structure of X-59 aircraft, designed for quieting sonic booms.

Test Your Knowledge About Oscilloscopes

An oscilloscope’s main purpose is capturing information on electrical signals for debugging, analysis, or characterization. The displayed waveform can then be analyzed for properties such as amplitude, frequency, rise time, and myriad others. How much do you know about oscilloscopes? Find out with this quiz.