Engineering

NJ Tao and colleagues have developed two different chemical sensors based on the tiny quartz tuning forks used in wristwatches. --by Linley Erin Hall

As consumer electronics such as MP3 players and digital cameras shrink, the need to put more memory in a smaller space grows. Traditional electronics begin to break down at the nanoscale, or molecular level. Researchers at ASU are working to overcome these limitations using nanoionics, a technique for moving ions around on a chip. --by Nicholas Gerbis

Imagine that an antenna has a kind of eyesight. Engineers and scientists are trying to better focus that eyesight in certain directions. They want to extend its reach over various distances without disturbance or interference from things they don't want the antenna to "see."--by Joe Kullman

Humans have a set of built-in chemical-detection devices. For example, the nose identifies chemicals by their smells. The tongue identifies chemicals by their tastes. Computers, on the other hand, do not have this skill. Researchers at ASU are hoping to allow computers to interact with the chemical world using nano-sized sensors that recognize molecules. --by Linley Erin Hall

The Electromagnetic Anechoic Chamber. It doesn't sound like a place you would choose to enter voluntarily. But for Constantine Balanis, it's the ultimate playroom. Experiments in the dark chamber shed light on the workings of electromagnetic waves. --by Joe Kullman

Smart cars and smart phones already exist. Engineers at ASU say that making antenna systems ‘smarter' promises to further expand the horizons of the wireless communications world. --by Joe Kullman

Researchers from ASU and the Walter Reed Army Medical Center are teaming up to create the next generation of powered prosthetic devices based on lightweight, energy-storing springs. --by Christine Lambrakis

Temperature-sensitive polymer gels may be the solution to a lot of tricky medical problems. By injecting the gels directly into the blood vessels, doctors can treat dangerous aneurysms or deliver chemotheraphy drugs with fewer side effects. --by Melissa Crytzer Fry

"We never tell the contractor what to do, because we're hiring him to know what he's doing," says Dean Kashiwagi, director of ASU's Performance Based Studies Research Group. The group has developed a hands-off approach to managing contractors in the construction industry. The result? Lower costs, faster delivery and a higher quality finished product. --by Melissa Crytzer Fry

Inverse Ocean Modeling (IOM) is a tool for combining computer models with observations of the ocean. Researchers at ASU are helping to make the system more accessible and easier to use. --by Jessica McCann