The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the way manufacturers recruit, train and develop their workforce. Long term, this shift will work in manufacturers' favor as online learning is also key to developing the skills necessary to leverage the emerging technologies that will give rise to the advanced manufacturing economy of the future.

Traditional air packs that firefighters wear provide oxygen for about 45 minutes. The tanks are bulky and heavy and restrict movement in or access to confined spaces. By giving firefighters a virtually unlimited air supply, the Lifeline Firehose could change how first responders approach fire scenes. The groundbreaking technology uses a patented...

Smart mouth guards can detect the threat of physical exhaustion and dehydration in athletes and warfighters, thanks to emerging flexible hybrid electronics technology. The flexible, plastic mouth guard is laden with sensors that can continuously monitor lactate concentrations in saliva and give early warning of imminent injury. The emerging...

A process for the viable commercial production of 3D printed cars has arrived. Local Motors created Olli, the first 3D-printed low-speed driverless minibus, in 2016. To date, Olli vehicles have been constructed and deployed to roughly a dozen campus settings such as business parks, hospitals and universities. Olli has about 90 percent fewer parts...

An entirely new category of wearable technology, HealthWear, is on retail shelves near you. It includes products such as wool socks that relieve pain and prevent shin splints, and spandex elbow compression sleeves that dispense medicine. The breakthrough technology was developed by Nufabrx in partnership with AFFOA, the DoD-sponsored Manufacturing...