29 Mar 2018

Robotic wheelchair competition unleashes student creativity

WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio – AFRL researchers are looking to tap into the creativity of the next generation of researchers through a project that turns an ordinary motorized wheelchair into a robotic security guard.As part of the Robotic Sentry Challenge, the Materials and Manufacturing Directorate is asking enterprising students to

2 Mar 2018

AFRL partners with entrepreneurs to light the way for the warfighter

WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio – Nearly everyone has used a common glow stick to light up the night sky, or even as part of a highway emergency kit. But these handy devices are also useful in the battlefield, and AFRL researchers have discovered a way to make this useful tool even better.Materials Engineer Dr. Larry Brott of the AFRL

9 Feb 2018

Linking engineering, art and science: Origami may be key to complex Air Force needs

WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio – Origami, the art of paper folding, has captivated generations of audiences across the globe, as artists craft intricate, intriguing figures and objects by folding just a single sheet of paper. For scientists and engineers at the Air Force Research Laboratory, the prospect of using origami to create complex,

6 Feb 2018

AFRL helps enable laser paint removal technology

WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio -- AFRL Materials Integrity engineers recently played a key role in enabling the safer and more efficient removal of paint from F-16 aircraft through the newly-adopted Robotic Laser Coating Removal System.At the request of the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center Engineering Division, the research team, part

2 Feb 2018

AFRL, NextFlex leverage open-source community to create flexible circuit system

WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio –  Lightweight, low-cost and flexible electronic systems are the key to next-generation smart technologies for military as well as consumer and commercial applications. An Air Force Research Laboratory-led project in conjunction with NextFlex, America’s Flexible Hybrid Electronics Institute, has resulted in the

3 Jan 2018

AFRL's advanced multi-junction solar cells deliver high efficiency, reduced costs for space

WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio -- Experts at the Air Force Research Laboratory continue to expand the scope of their technological expertise, rising above the Earth’s surface to meet the power needs of next generation military spacecraft. A collaborative effort between the AFRL Materials and Manufacturing and Space Vehicles Directorates, the

21 Dec 2017

AFRL, American Semiconductor create flexible system-on-chip for ‘internet-of-things’

WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio --  As the ecosystem of everyday objects embedded with technology to connect, communicate and transfer information continues to expand, scientists are challenged to find ways to enable even more physical objects to become ‘smarter’ and connected.  Leveraging the U.S. silicon manufacturing industry’s expertise

5 Dec 2017

AFRL research to enable next-gen flexible, wireless communications

WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio – Next generation military and civilian applications require the ability to transfer more data, faster, at a high level of quality. As the size of devices continue to decrease and unique form factors enter the technology space, researchers are challenged to find material solutions to make more efficient

30 Oct 2017

Air Force Bioenvironmental Engineers bring advanced exposure surveillance to the front lines

Modern battlefields have many sources of potentially harmful airborne substances, but that is not the only place that Airmen can be exposed to harmful environmental factors. Air Force bioenvironmental engineers are developing technology to track, catalogue, and provide useful data about environmental exposures that will help identify battlefield threats in real time and inform Airmen of the everyday exposures that affect their health.

17 Oct 2017

AFRL, Harvard researchers invent new method of hybrid 3-D printing for flexible electronics

WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio – It is often said that ‘two heads are better than one;’ for the Air Force, leveraging the expertise and insights of academia has led to advances in materials development and processing destined to be a game changer for the future fight.A collaboration between scientists at the Air Force Research Laboratory and