Background For many years, the goal of efficient electricity generation at small scales with hydrocarbon fuels has been impractical due to heat loss and other challenges. Current approaches to electricity generation at small scales involve the combustion of hydrocarbon fuels to drive generators, which can be useful for remote or off-grid applications,...

EEG (Electroencephalogram) is a widely used tool for monitoring and recording electrical brain activity; aiding in the diagnosis and treatment of various neurological conditions such as epilepsy, sleep disorders, and brain injuries. While EEG technology has advanced significantly over the years, auxiliary equipment, such as EEG carts, have remained...

Background Thermal and electrical isolation are key considerations in many extraterrestrial exploration systems. In high vacuum or low atmospheric density environments, maintaining thermal isolation can be challenging. Minimizing thermal and electrical conductivity of structural members in space applications is challenging as most structural components...

There are many obstacles in the way of exploring challenging environments (e.g., the lunar surface's permanently shadowed regions (PSRs)). The rocky terrain, steep inclines, and slick regolith that are typical in these places present challenges for traditional wheeled rovers. For these explorations to be effective, a vehicle needs to have low power,...

Background A common issue in the retail sector is inefficient handoff of items to customers. In particular, large food and coffee chains have inefficient processes around communicating with customers and delivering goods to them. The expectation of fast and trackable delivery of items is rapidly increasing, with options like same-day shipping becoming...

Capacitive dropper circuits are employed when a low DC voltage, typically at a low current, must be obtained inexpensively and reliably from a high AC voltage. Capacitive dropper circuits are notable for their low consumption of active power relative to the current that they are able to supply, and are notable for their ability to supply reactive power...

Background Drone charging systems contend with such drawbacks as high cost, tight required landing area, and mechanical complexity. Many involve advanced drone alignment mechanisms or charging pads. Therefore, a charging system that addresses these issues can advance the use of drones in new, autonomous applications. Invention Description Researchers...