Not too long ago, bringing a techie gadget to school was a sure way to get some unwanted face time with a teacher. Now, many schools require them. The explosion of classroom-ready tech is changing how students learn, and classroom wearables are quickly joining tablets and laptops as the device of choice.

The answer: An augmented reality.

Haptic technologies can be regarded as a natural progression in the increased sophistication in devices. Aviation, robotics and gaming are the early adopters of haptics, but the technology's decisive push began when haptics broke into the mobile device segment.

Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) are a growing trend in the auto and transportation sectors. The implementation of ADAS has been considered revolutionary as it provides dynamic features such as parking assistance, adaptive cruise control, lane departure warning, blind spot detection, drowsiness monitoring, tire pressure monitoring and night vision. The developments within the automotive industry aren't limited just to enhancements in the design or engines, but developments have also occurred in the area of safety—safety of the vehicles, passengers and also pedestrians.

A new evaluation method using terahertz waves can detect the early stages of corrosion on steel rebars directly through their concrete covering. Developed by researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), the noninvasive “spectral fingerprint” technique reveals the corrosion of concrete-encased steel before it can cause any significant degradation of the structure it supports.

Acoustic sensors record pressure, proximity, motion, temperature, flow and level, acoustics, touch and images. Their use in consumer electronics like smart phones is driven by the requirements of higher energy and resource efficiency, smaller size, cost effectiveness, power efficiency, advanced performance and capability to handle media and data simultaneously.

Modern life is becoming connected through a web of technology. The term "Internet of Things" (IoT) refers to, among other entities, an industrial internet of things, smart cities and smart buildings. These terms depend on one thing that brings them together—sensors.

Radio frequency identification and sensor technology use radio frequency waves to exchange data between a reader and a movable object in order to locate, identify or track the object.