Topic

A report proposes that cylindrical asymmetrical capacitors (CACs) be used to generate small thrusts for precise maneuvering of spacecraft on long missions. The report notes that it has been known for decades that when high voltages are applied to CACs in air, thrusts are generated — most...

A paper discusses techniques for protecting against faults in spacecraft designed and operated by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). The paper addresses, more specifically, faultprotection requirements and techniques common to most JPL spacecraft (in contradistinction to unique, mission specific...

A computational method, SimLearn, has been devised to facilitate efficient knowledge discovery from simulators. Simulators are complex computer programs used in science and engineering to model diverse phenomena such as fluid flow, gravitational interactions, coupled mechanical systems, and nuclear,...

This organization seeks new orthobiologic technologies that stimulate bone growth, provide a growth scaffolding, and promote bone healing through osteoinduction (bone formation is actively induced) and osteoconduction (where a scaffold facilitates bone repair passively) in spinal fusion repairs. They...

A report presents an algorithm that solves the following problem: Allocate the force and/or torque to be exerted by each thruster and reaction-wheel assembly on a spacecraft for best performance, defined as minimizing the error between (1) the total force and torque commanded by the spacecraft...

Brown University researchers have devised a way to control both the size and composition of iron-platinum nanorods and nanowires. Nanorods with uniform shape and magnetic alignment are one key to the next generation of high-density information storage, but have been difficult to make in bulk. The technique...

NASA has released its CLARAty (Coupled-Layer Architecture for Robotic Autonomy) robotic software for public downloading. CLARAty is an integrated framework for reusable robotic software that defines interfaces for common robotic capabilities such as pose estimation, navigation, locomotion, and planning. In addition to supporting multiple...

New and/or advanced curing technologies are needed to incorporate into a metal packaging protective coating and decoration process. Systems could be used in metal containers for aerosols, beverages, food products and specialty packaging, all of which require external and/or internal protective coatings. Click here to respond...

A prototype of what may be the next generation of personal computers has been developed by researchers at the University of Maryland. The system is capable of computing speeds 100 times faster than current desktops and is based on parallel processing on a single chip, an approach that allows the computer to perform different...

A portfolio of technologies applies mid-infrared spectroscopy to the analysis of fluids, including blood, serum, and other biological fluids. Tests are non-destructive and the techniques require no reagents or other chemicals. The spectroscopic signatures obtained from the samples can be used to aid the diagnosis of disease, since...

NASA recently tested the first nanotechnology- based electronic device to fly in space. The test showed that the Nano ChemSensor Unit could monitor trace gases inside a spaceship. This technology could lead to smaller, more capable environmental monitors and smoke detectors in future crew habitats.

You've got one day left to sign up for NASA Tech Briefs' FREE webinar, Virtual Testing at the CAD Stage with Simulation Software, sponsored by Noran Engineering. The live event takes place tomorrow, June 27, at 2:00 PM EST. In order to successfully compete in the global marketplace, your product design process needs to be the...

This monthly review lets you "meet" the new advertisers appearing in NTB and its supplements. Here's a sneak peek at the products, services, and offers available from July's first-time advertisers. Accuratus Ceramic Corp. (Phillipsburg, NJ) offers Accuflect™ light-reflecting ceramic for high-energy flashlamp-driven laser and...

A nanoparticle made at the University of Central Florida shows promise as a drug delivery device for treating glaucoma, an eye disease that can cause blindness and affects millions of people worldwide. The nanoparticle can safely get past the blood-brain barrier making it an effective, non-toxic tool for drug delivery, according...

Fluorescent Nanodiamonds Glowing nanodiamonds can be tracked as they move through the body and can reveal the inner workings of cells. Firing a high-energy electron beam through diamonds 100 nanometers wide produces permanent defects in their crystal structure that makes them glow under laser light. These diamonds can...

Purdue University researchers project a 200 to 500 percent increase in the number of dangerously hot days in the Mediterranean by the end of the 21st century if the current rate of greenhouse gas emissions continues. The study found that France would be subjected to the largest increase of high-temperature extremes. The study also...

Engineers at Purdue University are developing robots able to make "educated guesses" about what lies ahead as they traverse unfamiliar surroundings, reducing the amount of time it takes to successfully navigate those environments. The method uses a new software algorithm that lets a robot create partial maps as it travels through an...

Researchers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign have developed the next generation of self-healing material that mimics human skin by healing itself time after time. The new materials rely on embedded, three-dimensional microvascular networks that emulate biological circulatory systems. Said Nancy Sottos, Willett...

A technology is sought to indicate that a product packed into a rigid metal container has not been tampered with and/or degraded over time. The solution must incorporate a method of communicating this information to the packager, retailer, or consumer. The container may be subjected to a thermal treatment for some canned...

A University of Colorado at Boulder invention optioned to AgriHouse, a Colorado-based company, may soon enable corn and potato crops to "talk" to farmers about when they need water and how much they need. A tiny sensor clips on to plant leaves and charts their thickness, a key measure of water deficiency and accompanying...

On June 27, 2007, NASA Tech Briefs will present a FREE webinar on "Virtual Testing at the CAD Stage with Simulation Software," sponsored by Noran Engineering. In order to successfully compete in the global marketplace, your product design process needs to be the best in its class, delivering innovative products of the...

Dassault Systemes (Paris, France) offers Version 5 Release 17 of its DELMIA Robotics software that defines and simulates flexible manufacturing devices such as multi-wrist robotic arms. The software offers tooling definition, workcell layout, robot programming, and workcell simulation capabilities. Engineers can plan, simulate,...

The recently released results of the Face Recognition Grand Challenge (FRGC), sponsored by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), indicate that the best face-recognition algorithms perform more accurately than most humans. The FRGC was open to researchers and developers in industry, academia, and research...

What are the patterns of human behavior and movement in crowded cities that turn agitated crowds into anti-social mobs? This question, as well as the ability to configure civic areas as defensible spaces, are addressed by an immersive 3D computational model under development by Paul M. Torrens, a geographer at Arizona State...

You've got one day left to sign up for NASA Tech Briefs' FREE webinar, Benefits of PXI Express for Next-Generation Testing, sponsored by Geotest-Marvin Test Systems, tomorrow, June 20, at 2:00 pm EST. Learn the capabilities, benefits, and features of PXI Express as a platform for next-generation test systems and...

Nanotech Briefs® magazine has announced the winners of the third annual Nano 50™ Awards, which recognize the top 50 technologies, products, and innovators that have significantly impacted -- or are expected to impact -- the state of the art in nanotechnology. The winners of the Nano 50 awards are the "best of the...

A surface contamination detection system enables accurate, automated, in-line inspection of metallic and composite panels prior to bonding, coating, painting, or welding. The technology is transferable to any application where surface contamination of metal or composite panels is undesirable, necessitating the need for in-process...