Technology

By Abby E Bower Horizon31, of Knoxville, Tenn., has exclusively licensed a novel communication system that allows users to reliably operate unmanned vehicles such as drones from anywhere in the world using only an internet connection. The technology, developed by the startup’s founders at the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory will enable commercial,…

What scientists and engineers need to know to help keep software, hardware and connected systems secure By Patricia Panchak, Contributing Writer In the cat-and-mouse struggle against bad actors in our inter-networked world, scientists and engineers are on the front lines. As developers of technology that can mean the difference between an adversarial breach and a…

By Kayla Wiles A self-driving car has a hard time recognizing the difference between a toddler and a brown bag that suddenly appears into view because of limitations in how it senses objects using lidar. The autonomous vehicle industry is exploring “frequency modulated continuous wave” (FMCW) lidar to solve this problem. Researchers have built a…

By about 2025, China will likely surpass the U.S. for the first time ever in the amount of dollars spent on R&D. Earlier this year, I had the opportunity to sit down with Rep. Chrissy Houlahan, a first-term congresswoman from southeastern Pennsylvania (and an industrial engineer), who sits on the House Committee on Foreign Affairs’…

By Becky Chambers Hennessy Collaboration is among the flagship strategies of innovation for research scientists, engineers and technical professionals. Here, three R&D experts weigh in on China as it rises to become the world’s top R&D investor. They also address some of the benefits and challenges of openness in research, and the inclusion of foreign…

A look at whether “to innovate, collaborate” is always the best strategy when it comes to global R&D By Becky Chambers Hennessy If ever there were a need for innovation through intellectual exchange and collaboration it is this: the novel Coronavirus (COVID-19), reportedly first identified in China. R&D experts worldwide know this, and the U.S.…

CEA-Leti announced its researchers have broken the throughput world record of 5.1 Gbps in visible light communications (VLC) using a single GaN blue micro light-emitting diode (LED). Their data transmission rate of 7.7 Gbps achieved with a 10 µm microLED marks another step toward commercialization and widespread use of LiFi communication. VLC, commonly called LiFi…

Oscilloscopes with more than two channels present a common problem: none of us have enough hands to hold more than two oscilloscope probes in place. This is especially an issue when using an 8-channel oscilloscope such as the new PicoScope 6800E devices, so it was particularly important for Pico Technology to address it. There aren’t…

A fresh start for 2020 Welcome to the new R&D World! A lot has happened since the last print issue of this venerable brand hit your desks, and we are proud of the new look and feel of the publication. Formerly known as simply, “R&D,” the brand was purchased out of bankruptcy by Cleveland-based WTWH…

Mitigating ongoing threats to national security requires timely intelligence data, including signals intelligence surveillance (SIGINT). Modern SIGINT systems provide this information by monitoring electronic communications transmitted over the air. In order to improve capability and reduce cost in a terrestrial direction-finding antenna, Southwest Research Institute developed novel sleeved electric dipoles that boost useable bandwidth by…

The approaching holiday travel season brings concerns of what a pilot shortage could mean for the annual overflowing flight schedules. That shortage could soon could be alleviated. Purdue (University) Polytechnic Institute has introduced a Degree in 3 program. It is intended to get more flight students properly trained and in the air a year sooner.…

With the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games drawing nearer, advanced numerical and experimental studies are being conducted to provide Australia’s most promising athletes with a competitive advantage. The studies are helping Australia’s leading sports scientists and performance coaches to shave vital seconds off their athletes’ times in the velodrome. Studies published in the Journal of Sports Engineering…

Owlstone Medical has joined 3TR, a large-scale public-private research initiative that aims to provide new insights into the mechanisms of response and non-response to treatment within and across seven different immune-mediated diseases. Owlstone Medical will receive funds from the project to provide Breath Biopsy Collection Stations and Kits for the collection of breath samples, and…

A battery-powered, wearable personalized temperature control system could help save energy on air conditioning and heating. A research team from the University of California San Diego has created a wearable, soft and stretchable patch that can cool or warm a user’s skin to a preferable temperature and keep it there as the temperature around the…

Combining agriculture, computer power, statistical models and chemical analysis, researchers have learned how to maximize the flavor of basil plants, a preliminary step toward optimizing food growth, and open-sourcing the technology to do so. The scientists, from the Open Agriculture (OpenAg) Initiative at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), say that “cyber-agriculture” could additionally aid…

What should you consider when selecting a vacuum compatible positioner? This article outlines the basics of a vacuum system and presents considerations to keep in mind when gathering requirements for your application. It focuses on motion control and what is essential to achieve reliable performance without compromising vacuum requirements.

What should you consider when selecting a direct drive linear motor? Linear motors, one type of direct drive technology, have developed into a drive type ideal for precision motion control applications. We compare rotary and linear motors and direct and indirect drive systems, highlight benefits of linear motor types, and discuss the benefits of Zaber’s…

Unmanned aerial systems (UAS, or drones) are a rapidly evolving technology that is being used for a variety of applications. With federal regulations making it easier to operate these systems with appropriate commercial certification, the number of UAS pilots has greatly increased. Over the past eight years, the Michigan Tech Research Institute (MTRI) in Ann…