All those technologies may be possible thanks to a breakthrough at the Navy’s premier research lab
Imagine: tiny sensors built into military combat gear to detect chemical or biological weapons; unseen sensors peppered throughout a submarine to detect radiation leaks or chemical contamination of the crew’s precious air; a cellphone — think Star Trek tricorder, flip it open, open the app and bingo! — able to detect the gas of explosives down to parts per trillion that helps to speed passengers through crowded airports. Or you could embed sensors in your refrigerator and it could tell you exactly what was spoiling and whether it was still safe to eat.
All those technologies may be possible thanks to a breakthrough at the Navy’s premier research lab who may be on the verge of unleashing the long-sought promise of nanotechnology. Researchers at the Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) – Christopher Field, Junghoon Yeom, Daniel Ratchford, Hyun Jin In and Pehr E Pehrsson – have figured out how to manufacture nanowires reliably using existing technology.
“The big thing with getting to this point is finding a way to produce this in a scaleable and reproducible fashion,” principal investigator Christopher Field told me. Until now, nanotechnologists have had to grow their nanowires, something that is extremely difficult to do over and over again since each one is created, effectively, by hand.
“We don’t grow our wires. We actually etch our wires with silicon,” Field said, using technology similar to that used by computer chip makers. Basically, the Navy scientists etch a cluster of nanowires and put a small amount of power pulsing through them. When a molecule from an explosive’s gas or a chemical weapon brushes against the nanowires this disrupts the charge. Then scientists analyze the disruption to discover what caused it.
The Navy is most excited about the technology for its application as an explosives detector. Also, Field submitted a proposal yesterday to place these sensors on a firefighting robot the NRL is developing. The goal is to enhance the situational awareness of the robot and enable it to make more informed decisions. Armed with what the Navy has lyrically named Field’s discovery – Silicon Nanowires in a Vertical Array with a Porous Electrode (SiN-VAPOR) — Lucas the robot could detect a fire from the rising levels of carbon monoxide and other gases, go to it and put it out without risking human lives. How? The Navy would plaster SiN-VAPOR sensors all over the robot and around the ship.
The Latest Bing News on:
Nanowire sensors
- Unprecedented Sound Waves – New Metamaterial Redefines Wave Amplificationon May 7, 2024 at 2:33 pm
Researchers at AMOLF, working alongside colleagues from Germany, Switzerland, and Austria, have realized a new type of metamaterial through which sound waves flow in an unprecedented fashion. It ...
- Breaking the Scaling Limits: New Ultralow-noise Superconducting Camera for Exoplanet Searcheson May 7, 2024 at 9:18 am
When imaging faint objects such as distant stars or exoplanets, capturing every last bit of light is crucial to get the most out of a scientific mission. These cameras must be extremely low-noise, and ...
- Sensors Bolster Army Prowesson May 2, 2024 at 5:00 pm
The Terrain Commander from Textron Corporation provides the basis for the U.S. Army's unattended ground sensor (UGS) Future Combat Systems. The sensor assembly is equipped with a variety of optical, ...
- Massachusetts to deploy hundreds of small community air pollution sensors this yearon April 23, 2024 at 9:44 am
Massachusetts will spend $775,000 to deploy more than 200 small community air sensors across the state, as well as nearly 100 more sophisticated sensors in low-income areas and communities of color.
- Exploring the Potential of Nanowire Superconducting Switching Deviceson April 15, 2024 at 7:33 am
Superconductors can conduct high electrical currents with no resistance at all. When there is too much current, for example, they cannot conduct currents without resistance. By constructing ...
- Superconducting electronics show promise for future collider experimentson April 11, 2024 at 5:00 pm
They can also begin to develop integrated superconducting nanowire sensors and electronic systems. These innovations will serve as the foundation for a wide spectrum of experiments, spanning a ...
- Global Nanowire Battery Market Size To Exceed USD 986.35 Million By 2033 | CAGR Of 33.42%on March 17, 2024 at 5:00 pm
New York, United States , March 18, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Global Nanowire Battery Market Size is to Grow from USD 55.18 Million in 2023 to USD 986.35 Million by 2033, at a Compound Annual ...
- Sensors & Diagnosticson October 16, 2023 at 4:46 am
Our initial APC waiver will come to an end at the end of June 2024. Article processing charges will apply to all articles submitted to Sensors & Diagnostics from 1 July 2024 onwards provided that, ...
- Who Is Deadlock — All Abilities for VALORANT Agent 23 Explainedon June 27, 2023 at 9:55 am
This sensor monitors an area for enemies that make ... This is yet another way to leave enemy agents vulnerable. Equip a Nanowire Accelerator and then fire to unleash a pulse of nanowires that ...
- Modeling Nanowire and Double-Gate Junctionless Field-Effect Transistorson May 29, 2022 at 11:15 am
Beginning with a discussion of the advantages and limitations of the technology, the authors also provide a thorough overview of published analytical models for double-gate and nanowire configurations ...
The Latest Google Headlines on:
Nanowire sensors
[google_news title=”” keyword=”Nanowire sensors” num_posts=”10″ blurb_length=”0″ show_thumb=”left”]
The Latest Bing News on:
Nanotechnology
- UQ's AMTAR hub advances the development of hyper-accurate cancer drugson May 7, 2024 at 9:01 pm
A range of hyper accurate cancer drugs is in production at a newly opened research and manufacturing hub at The University of Queensland.
- Researchers develop nanotechnology for creating wafer-scale nanoparticle monolayers in secondson May 7, 2024 at 1:17 pm
Nanoscale materials present us with astonishing chemical and physical properties that help materialize applications such as single molecular sensing and minimally invasive photothermal therapy—which ...
- Larysa Baraban receives professorship for Medical Nanotechnology at TUD Dresden University of Technologyon May 7, 2024 at 5:12 am
Larysa Baraban took up the newly created Chair of Medical Nanotechnology at the Faculty of Medicine Carl Gustav Carus at TUD Dresden University of Technology on 1 May 2024. The professorship was ...
- GIST researchers develop nanotechnology for creating wafer-scale nanoparticle monolayers in secondson May 6, 2024 at 4:59 pm
Scientists demonstrated a proton-assisted electrostatic assembly technique that transports nanoparticles from water within seconds while enabling 2D mono-layered assembly with excellent surface ...
- 'Quartet Nanocage' vaccine found effective against coronaviruses that haven't even emerged yeton May 6, 2024 at 6:38 am
Researchers have developed a new vaccine technology that has been shown in mice to provide protection against a broad range of coronaviruses with potential for future disease outbreaks—including ones ...
- The Role of Nanotechnology in Air Purification Advancementson May 6, 2024 at 2:49 am
The pervasive challenge of air pollution poses significant hurdles, inflicting profound adverse impacts on public health and ecosystems. This challenge is compounded by the presence of harmful ...
- Nanotechnology in Therapeuticson May 2, 2024 at 5:00 pm
Nanomedicine. 2012;7(8):1253-1271. Liposomes Liposomes are self-assembled artificial vesicles developed from amphiphilic phospholipids. These vesicles consist of a spherical bilayer structure ...
- Imec.xpand raises $320M for fund to invest in semiconductors and nanotechnologyon May 2, 2024 at 7:04 am
Imec.xpand, a chip and nanotech-focused venture capital fund, announced the launch of a new $320 million fund today.
- Nanotechnology in packaging: enhancing barrier properties and shelf lifeon April 29, 2024 at 4:29 am
Nanotechnology is revolutionising packaging materials, safeguarding products from spoilage and degradation while extending shelf life.
- Nanotechnology Market to Surpass USD 53.51 Billion by 2031 | SkyQuest Technologyon April 23, 2024 at 8:30 am
SkyQuest projects that the nanotechnology market will attain a value of USD 53.51 billion by 2031, with a CAGR of 36.4% over the forecast period (2024-2031). The increasing demand for nanotechnology ...
The Latest Google Headlines on:
Nanotechnology
[google_news title=”” keyword=”nanotechnology” num_posts=”10″ blurb_length=”0″ show_thumb=”left”]