With resolution 1000 times greater than a light microscope, electron microscopes are exceptionally good at imaging materials and detailing their properties. Researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Argonne National Laboratory are demonstrating that advanced software developments and an a

Machines, specifically rotating equipment like pumps, fans, and compressors, account for 85 percent of GDP, according to a 2017 report from McKinsey Global Institute. When one piece of equipment goes down, the consequences can range from a minor inconvenience – like downtime on one manufacturing lin

A Berkeley Lab team has developed an easy, fast, and inexpensive method to measure lithium battery performance. The new technique uses thermal waves to measure local lithium concentration as a function of depth inside battery electrodes. Related Articles Electrolyte Design Improves Anode Capacity in

Water regulation in leaves is vital to a plant’s health, affecting its growth and yield, disease susceptibility, and drought resistance. A new technology uses nanoscale sensors and fiber optics to measure water status just inside a leaf’s surface, where water in plants is most actively managed. Th

Engineers at Caltech, ETH Zurich, and Harvard are developing artificial intelligence (AI) that will allow autonomous drones to use ocean currents to aid their navigation, rather than fighting their way through them. When we want robots to explore the deep ocean, especially in swarms, its almost impo

NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research CenterEdwards, CAwww.nasa.gov/centers/armstrong United Launch AllianceCentennial, COwww.ulalaunch.com What began as a research tool to collect aerodynamic data from research aircraft is now solving technical challenges within the agency and beyond. NASA’s Fiber Optic

A new device known as MC-TENG — short for multilayered cylindrical triboelectric nanogenerator — generates electrical power by harvesting energy from the sporadic movement of the tree branches from which it hangs. The self-powered sensing system could continuously monitor the fire and environmental

Researchers developed a propulsion system that could pave the way for hypersonic flight, such as travel from New York to Los Angeles in less than 30 minutes. They developed a way to stabilize the detonation needed for hypersonic propulsion by creating a special hypersonic reaction chamber for jet en

Researchers have developed contact lens technology to help diagnose and monitor medical conditions. The team enabled commercial soft contact lenses to be a bioinstrumentation tool for unobtrusive monitoring of clinically important information associated with underlying ocular health conditions. This

A new kind of fiber called OmniFibers can be made into clothing that senses how much it is being stretched or compressed and then provides immediate tactile feedback in the form of pressure, lateral stretch, or vibration. Such fabrics could be used in garments that help train singers or athletes to

A new tool could diagnose a stroke based on abnormalities in a patient’s speech ability and facial muscular movements with the accuracy of an emergency room physician — all within minutes from an interaction with a smartphone. A machine learning model aids in, and potentially speeds up, the diagnost

Researchers developed a COVID-19 testing method that uses a smartphone microscope to analyze saliva samples and deliver results in about 10 minutes. The method combines the speed of existing nasal swab antigen tests with the high accuracy of nasal swab PCR (polymerase chain reaction) tests. They are

CubeSats have become big players in space exploration. Their small size and relatively low cost have made them popular choices for commercial launches in recent years, but the process to propel such satellites in space comes with a number of problems. Technology was developed to address one of those

Exoskeletons, many of which are powered by springs or motors, can cause pain or injury if their joints are not aligned with the user’s. To mitigate these risks, a new measurement method was developed to test whether an exoskeleton and the person wearing it are moving smoothly and in harmony. The m

Most viral test kits rely on labor- and time-intensive laboratory preparation and analysis techniques; for example, tests for the novel coronavirus can take days to detect the virus from nasal swabs. Researchers have demonstrated an inexpensive yet sensitive smartphone-based testing device for viral

With the addition of sensors and enhanced communication tools, providing lightweight, portable power has become more challenging. Researchers have now demonstrated a new approach to turning thermal energy into electricity that could provide compact and efficient power for soldiers on future battlefi

A smart device with an infrared light emitting diode (LED) that is tunable to different wavelengths of light could enable a refrigerator to tell when food is spoiled. The device could identify a suite of gases, potentially including lethal ones, improving the safety of firefighters, miners, the mili

Researchers devised and tested a highly sensitive method of detecting and counting defects in transistors — a matter of urgent concern to the semiconductor industry as it develops new materials for next-generation devices. These defects limit transistor and circuit performance and can affect product

A new type of COVID-19 testing strategy could help streamline the process of identifying cases, tracking variants, and detecting co-infecting viruses. At present, separate assays and complex workflows are involved in each of these three diagnostic procedures, with analyses typically performed in hig

Researchers have created an electronic microsystem that can intelligently respond to information inputs without any external energy input, much like a self-autonomous living organism. The microsystem is constructed from a novel type of electronics that can process ultralow electronic signals and inc