Devices & inventions

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Paige Balcom, Tomás Vega and Corten Singer, from left, Berkeley alums featured in the award-winning documentary “Pathways to Invention.”

UC Berkeley innovators featured in ‘Pathways to Invention’ film

04/26/24 — Special to debut in May on PBS stations and streaming apps

Traditionally, fluorescence microscopes (blue images) are used to image tumors. A new image sensor (purple images) could do the same, less invasively.

Tiny sensor aims to monitor tumors in real time

04/19/24 — IEEE Spectrum: Novel device could potentially provide a better alternative to biopsies

Photo of Augmental co-founder Corten Singer (B.A.’17 CS, B.A.’17 CogSci, M.S.’18 EECS).

Berkeley alum develops tongue-controlled touchpad

01/30/24 — Corten Singer (B.A.’17 CS, B.A.’17 CogSci, M.S.’18 EECS) seeks to create a new paradigm in assistive technologies

Image showing a view of planet Earth and a comet from space.

Small solar sails could be the next ‘giant leap’ for interplanetary space exploration

01/10/24 — Researchers aim to create a fleet of low-cost, autonomous spacecraft propelled by light particles

Nanoengineered steel mesh with a special solar-powered coating

In a fog

11/06/23 — A new technique for fog harvesting could provide millions of people with access to safe drinking water.

A cool way to save coral

11/06/23 — Technology developed by Berkeley engineers has been used to cryopreserve and revive entire coral fragments.

Put into words

11/06/23 — An implantable, AI-powered device can translate brain signals into synthesized speech and facial expressions.

Photo of Ashok Gadgil, wearing the National Medal of Technology and Innovation, shaking hands with President Biden.

Ashok Gadgil awarded National Medal of Technology and Innovation

10/24/23 — Distinguished CEE professor's technological innovations have profoundly benefited low-resource communities worldwide

Photo of Gridscope mounted to a power pole in a snowy, mountainous area. (Photo courtesy Gridware)

CITRIS Foundry alumni innovate for a more sustainable world

06/01/23 — CITRIS: Startups founded by Berkeley engineers work to combat climate change, improve energy efficiency and develop more sustainable solutions

Energized for real-world impact

01/25/23 — Founded by Berkeley Engineering alumni, Gridware uses sensors to tackle the threat of wildfires

UC Berkeley physics and engineering professor Ramamoorthy Ramesh has been elected to the National Academy of Inventors.

Ramamoorthy Ramesh elected to the National Academy of Inventors

12/08/22 — Berkeley engineer and physicist receives the highest professional distinction awarded to academic inventors for his pioneering work in materials science

A 3D-printed, trifurcated microtubule model alongside a gnat

Fine print

11/07/22 — Micro-CAL is a new, faster way to 3D print glass microstructures that produces stronger and higher quality objects.

Berkeley researchers Hannah Stuart and Laura Treers demonstrate EMBUR, a burrowing robot modeled on mole crabs

Digging deep

11/07/22 — The design of EMBUR, one of the first legged robots that can self-burrow vertically, was inspired by the Pacific mole crab.

Schematic showing the “Dirac cones” through which the light passes through the holes in the semiconductor membrane.

Next-gen lasers

11/07/22 — An advanced semiconductor laser can emit a single mode of light while still scaling up in size and power.

Berkeley climate-tech startup brings Clarity to clean air monitoring

10/12/22 — Clarity Movement Co., co-founded at Berkeley by CEO David Lu, is bringing real-time air quality sensing to cities around the globe, including a new network in Perth, Australia

Berkeley researcher checks new arsenic treatment technology with Dennis Hutson looking on.

Bringing arsenic-safe drinking water to rural California

09/21/22 — Berkeley engineers have created a simple, low-cost arsenic treatment system to help low-income communities access safer water (With video)

Researcher holding up a 3D-printed circuit

Print, recycle, repeat: Scientists demo a biodegradable printed circuit

08/30/22 — Berkeley Lab: New breakthrough by Berkeley researchers could divert wearable devices and other flexible electronics from landfill

FIRE Foundry crew take a break from training at a Wildland Academy event

Fired up for the future

07/19/22 — FIRE Foundry aims to increase diversity among fire crews and accelerate the adoption of advanced firefighting technologies

Schematic of the Berkeley Surface Emitting Laser (BerkSEL)

New single-mode semiconductor laser delivers power with scalability

06/29/22 — Breakthrough by Berkeley engineers could dramatically improve the efficiency of lasers for sensing, communication and imaging