Tech Briefs

09/18/2025

Decisions are made by those in the room.

And this room is filling up fast.

The Aerospace & Defense Summit is almost here — happening this November. This is your chance to engage directly with senior executives, defense innovators, and key suppliers shaping the future of the industry. Space is limited, and final places are being confirmed.

📩 Secure your spot or request more info: [email protected].

🔗 Register now:

Aerospace & Defense Manufacturing & R&D Summit

09/18/2025

3D Printing Lightweight Concrete Structures that Absorb Carbon Dioxide

Shu Yang and her materials research team at the University of Pennsylvania, along with the architect Masoud Akbarzadeh, Director of the Polyhedral Structures Laboratory, have developed a 3D-printed concrete based on diatomaceous earth that has enhanced carbon capture, is strong, and uses less CO2-producing cement.

Read SAE Media Group's Ed Brown's full Q&A with Yang: https://ow.ly/XEXE50WYHe3

09/17/2025

Behold: The Automotive Engineering Podcast!

To help pass the time during your commute or while working around the house or in the garage, we've launched the SAE Automotive Engineering podcast.

The monthly podcast will feature interviews with automakers, regulators, suppliers, academics, and really anyone who has their finger on the pulse of the automotive world. Each episode will feature a topic, and we'll conduct multiple interviews with people in the industry about that topic.

This month, we speak with Slate Automotive and BMW about their upcoming electric vehicles and how each company is navigating the current state of electric vehicles.

Listen now and be sure to subscribe: https://ow.ly/kexT50WY83g

09/16/2025

Boeing's X-37B Is Testing a Quantum Inertial Sensor in Space

In August, the U.S. Space Force launched the eighth mission of Boeing's X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle from Kennedy Space Center, Florida.

The mission will feature the Space Force's first-ever evaluation of a quantum inertial sensor in space. Watch this video to understand why the Space Force is evaluating the use of space-based quantum sensing.

Watch now: https://ow.ly/I6iH50WXr7f

09/15/2025

How Digital Twins Could Lead to Better GI Function

Kennesaw State University’s Lei Shi is leading a research project that could alter how gastrointestinal (GI) disorders are diagnosed and treated using virtual replicas of a human stomach.

“Two stomachs may look the same, but one might be stiff while the other is soft. That difference affects how it moves. By combining mechanical properties with electrical activity patterns, we can create a model that behaves just like the real organ.”

Learn more: https://ow.ly/E9ro50WWGBo

09/12/2025

How Much Do You Know About the History of Television?

Television was king during the second half of the 20th century — what do you know about the history of the technology?

Find out with this quiz: https://ow.ly/EcMi50WVGZw

09/11/2025

AI Model Can Predict Cardiac Arrest Better than Doctors

The linchpin is the system's ability to analyze long-underused heart imaging, alongside a full spectrum of medical records, to reveal previously hidden information about a patient's heart health.

The federally funded work, led by Johns Hopkins University researchers, could save many lives and also spare many people unnecessary medical interventions, including the implantation of unneeded defibrillators.

Learn more: https://ow.ly/juWW50WV65u

09/10/2025

AI-Powered Action for Rapid Disaster Response

As weather-related catastrophes and urban vulnerabilities intensify, there is a growing interest in AI-driven tools for predicting weather patterns and disaster response. Engineers at Texas A&M University have developed CLARKE (Computer vision and Learning for Analysis of Roads and Key Edifices) — a system that uses drone imagery and artificial intelligence to rapidly assess damage after hurricanes and floods.

CLARKE was created by a team of researchers led by Tom Manzini, a Ph.D. candidate in computer science and engineering, and Dr. Robin Murphy, Professor Emerita, Computer Science & Engineering, both at Texas A&M University College of Engineering.

The technology leverages advances in AI-powered mapping, which collects images and then stitches them into a single image called an orthomosaic. “Our work is the use of AI machine learning for building and road damage assessment. CLARKE takes the orthomosaics to classify the damage in a matter of minutes,” said Murphy.

Learn more: https://ow.ly/BFZF50WUt32

09/09/2025

Catching Up on (and Advancing) MXenes

Haozhe “Harry” Wang, Assistant Professor, Electrical and Computer Engineering, Duke University, continues to push the boundaries in MXene research.

The Wang lab’s goal is to develop MXene materials to enable more flexible, programmable, and resilient soft robotics, all controlled with nothing but light.

Learn about the lab's latest work: https://ow.ly/alrP50WTO0V

09/08/2025

Flexible Silicon Photovoltaics: A Breakthrough in Space-Grade Solar Power

In-space manufacturing is expected to become a core part of future space economy by using assets in orbits or beyond Earth orbit for use in space. Tech Briefs interviewed Tempe, Arizona-based space-focused solar energy startup Solestial’s CTO Stanislau Herasimenka about the key technology developments leading to this increased momentum for space-based manufacturing and the role solar power will play in it.

Read the entire interview: https://ow.ly/TI0O50WT6AY

09/05/2025

How much do you know about the history of helicopters operated by the U.S. military? Test your knowledge with this quiz.

Take now: https://ow.ly/gihQ50WROta

09/04/2025

5Ws of the Mini Spectrometer

What: With applications ranging from manufacturing to biomedical diagnostics, spectrometers help us understand the chemical and physical properties of various materials based on how light changes when it interacts with those materials. However, the smallest spectrometers on the market are still bulky. The NCSU team has created a spectrometer that operates quickly, at low voltage, and that is sensitive to a wide spectrum of light.

Learn the other four Ws: https://ow.ly/N5is50WR7Ee