Dust accumulation on solar panels, particularly in desert regions, can cause significant power losses without frequent water-based cleaning. With the global solar capacity rising, current cleaning methods yield high operational costs, consume billions of gallons of water annually, and pose sustainability and resource challenges.         To overcome these challenges, UC Berkeley researchers have developed a passive anti-soiling coating, which can effectively repel dust particles without energy or resources. The anti-soiling performance can be triggered by an onset temperature as low as 40 °C—common in most operating environments—and has been demonstrated to repel nearly all dust particles in preliminary studies. The approach is practical and highly promising for large-scale deployment.

UC Berkeley researchers have developed a novel dispersion system for agricultural and environmental payloads, including seeds, soil amendments, miniature soil sensors, and so forth. Dispersive packages are biodegradable and biomimetically designed with similarities to natural seeds. Aerodynamic properties control large-area dispersions, while importantly, tunable gyroscopic properties are programmed for penetration parameters, such as depth, upon impact. Payload distribution can be fine-tuned accounting for local soil moisture and grain-size.

Researchers at the University of California, Davis have developed tactile feedback systems that enhance spatial and sensory resolution in sensor arrays through unique signal modulation techniques.

An advanced system leveraging machine learning and computer vision for real-time, smart control of flow boiling processes to optimize thermal management.

Outdoor wireless sensor and camera networks are important for environmental monitoring and public-safety surveillance, yet their real-world deployment still relies heavily on expert intuition and exhaustive simulations that fail to scale in many landscapes. Traditional coverage-maximization techniques evaluate every candidate position for every node while factoring in every other node, the task complexity becomes intractable as node count or terrain granularity grows. The challenge is sharper in three-dimensional topographies where ridges, valleys, and plateaus block line-of-sight and invalidate two-dimensional heuristics. Moreover, once nodes are in the field, relocating them is slow and costly if new blind spots emerge or missions evolve.

Multimode optical fiber was first introduced in astrophotonics applications as “light pipes” to transport light from telescopes to instruments. The integration of multimode optical fiber helped to maximize light collection but offered little control over the propagation modes from the collected light, which affects the quality and speed of light transmission. Single-mode optical fiber used in interferometry proved invaluable for spatial filtering and wavefront correction, providing a stable, reliable, and flexible way to guide light in precision sensing and imaging. Photonic lanterns were conceived in the early 2000s to help bridge a gap between the light-gathering efficiency of multimode optical fiber and the precision of single-mode optical fiber. Photonic lantern devices have reasonably addressed the efficient conversion needs between multimode/ multi-modal and multiple single-mode light paths. However, challenges remain with respect to improving and scaling of photonic lantern devices, including coupling efficiency/losses, bandwidth limitations, and high-order mode (>20) capabilities.

A groundbreaking system that enables navigation in GPS-denied environments by using intelligent systems to mimic biological systems that recognize locations through visual cues and perform contextually appropriate actions.

A novel sensor device leveraging hydrogel and metallic structures for passive, wireless environmental monitoring.

This technology enhances the sensitivity of sensors through exceptional points of degeneracy in various circuit configurations.

Researchers at the University of California, Davis have developed a sophisticated soil nitrate sensing system designed to accurately measure soil pore water nitrate concentrations, enhancing sustainable agriculture and environmental monitoring.

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A novel circuit design promoting enhanced sensitivity for electromagnetic sensing through exceptional points of degeneracy.

An innovative technique for creating high-sensitivity Whispering Gallery Mode (WGM) sensors through advanced microbubble resonator fabrication.

Sensors are used in a multitude of applications from molecular biology, chemicals detection to wireless communications. Researchers at the University of California Irvine have invented a new type of electronic circuit that utilizes exceptional points of degeneracy to improve the sensitivity of signal detection.

Researchers at the University of California Davis have developed a system designed to predict and prevent ATV rollovers, enhancing rider safety.

Researchers from UC San Diego present a fully-passive, miniaturized, flexible form factor sensor interface titled ZenseTag that uses minimal electronics to read and communicate analog sensor data, directly at radio frequencies (RF). The technology exploits the fundamental principle of resonance, where a sensor's terminal impedance becomes most sensitive to the measured stimulus at its resonant frequency. This enables ZenseTag to read out the sensor variation using only energy harvested from wireless signals. UCSD inventors further demonstrate its implementation with a 15x10mm flexible PCB that connects sensors to a printed antenna and passive RFID ICs, enabling near real-time readout through a performant GUI-enabled software. They showcase ZenseTag's versatility by interfacing commercial force, soil moisture and photodiode sensors. 

Researchers at the University of California, Davis have developed a solid-state device that uses Cherenkov Radiation to emit light at a tunable wavelength in the THz to IR range.

Researchers at the University of California, Davis have developed two designs capable of capturing hyperspectral images that can be processed using compressive sensing techniques. These advanced component technologies for hyper-spectral imagers realizing 100x reduced size, weight, and power while supporting 1000x framerates in support of high performance.

There is a need for robust and reliable electrochemical oxygen sensing, particularly in ambient environments. This innovation, developed by UC Berkeley researchers, addresses this opportunity by providing electrochemical sensors and methods for oxygen sensing using zinc-air battery chemistry. The sensor is a compact electrochemical cell that utilizes an anode (comprising a substrate and a current collector), a cathode (comprising a gas permeable substrate and a current collector), and a separator containing an electrolyte positioned between them. An electronic unit electrically couples the anode and cathode and is configured to receive electrical signals indicative of the oxygen level in the ambient environment. This system offers a novel, potentially cost-effective and efficient approach to oxygen measurement compared to conventional sensing technologies.

A revolutionary approach to sensor data processing that leverages bio-inspired computing for intelligent sensing.

A groundbreaking technology that mimics the dynamic color-changing functionality of the blue-ringed octopus for applications in camouflage, signaling, and beyond.

Researchers at the University of California, Davis have developed a technology that offers a sophisticated solution for collecting and measuring gas emissions from surfaces, particularly skin, with high sensitivity and specificity.

Optical atomic clocks have taken a giant leap in recent years, with several experiments reaching uncertainties at the 10−18 level. The development of synchronized clock networks and transportable clocks that operate in extreme and distant environments would allow clocks based on different atomic standards or placed in separate locations to be compared. Such networks would enable relativistic geodesy, tests of fundamental physics, dark matter searches, and more. However, the leading neutral-atom optical clocks operate on wavelengths of 698 nm (Sr) and 578 nm (Yb). Light at these wavelengths is strongly attenuated in optical fibers, posing a challenge to long-distance time transfer. Those wavelengths are also inconvenient for constructing the ultrastable lasers that are an essential component of optical clocks. To address this problem, UC Berkeley researchers have developed a new, laser-cooled neutral atom optical atomic clock that operates in the telecommunication wavelength band. The leveraged atomic transitions are narrow and exhibit much smaller black body radiation shifts than those in alkaline earth atoms, as well as small quadratic Zeeman shifts. Furthermore, the transition wavelengths are in the low-loss S, C, and L-bands of fiber-optic telecommunication standards, allowing the clocks to be integrated with robust laser technology and optical amplifiers. Additionally, the researchers have identified magic trapping wavelengths via extensive studies and have proposed approaches to overcome magnetic dipole-dipole interactions. Together, these features support the development of fiber-linked terrestrial clock networks over continental distances.

This e-nose sensor applies odorant receptor proteins fused to ion channels within a lipid bilayer, combined with semiconducting materials, to detect the binding of target molecules through changes in electrical conductance. Designed for sensitivity at the molecular level, it can identify a wide range of substances by mimicking the olfactory capabilities of living organisms.

         Recent advancements in nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy have underscored the need for novel instrumentation, but current commercial instrumentation performs well primarily for pre-existing, mainstream applications. Modalities involving, in particular, integrated electron-nuclear spin control, dynamic nuclear polarization (DNP), and non-traditional NMR pulse sequences would benefit greatly from more flexible and capable hardware and software. Advances in these areas would allow many innovative NMR methodologies to reach the market in the coming years.          To address this opportunity, UC Berkeley researchers have developed a novel high-speed, high-memory NMR spectrometer and hyperpolarizer. The device is compact, rack-mountable and cost-effective compared to existing spectrometers. Furthermore, the spectrometer features robust, high-speed NMR transmit and receive functions, synthesizing and receiving signals at the Larmor frequency and up to 2.7GHz. The spectrometer features on-board, phase-sensitive detection and windowed acquisition that can be carried out over extended periods and across millions of pulses. These and additional features are tailored for integrated electron-nuclear spin control and DNP. The invented spectrometer/hyperpolarizer opens up new avenues for NMR pulse control and DNP, including closed-loop feedback control, electron decoupling, 3D spin tracking, and potential applications in quantum sensing.