Imagine an automobile crash test that uses test dummies painted all over with a substance that can change color according to the levels of stress that various parts of the dummies' bodies will endure.

Using a sensor film to monitor how well aircraft and spacecraft withstand the mechanical stresses of flight: Würzburg researchers have received a prize for this idea, which comes with a lot of money.

The new XSense sensors could enable flexible touchscreens, screens with curved surfaces, and much larger touchscreens as well, said Steve Laub, chief executive of the San Jose, Calif.-based chip maker ...

"Our colorimetric sensor film changes color, not just color intensity, which gives us the benefit of higher contrast and resolution," says Yin. "We also can make it into a liquid, which can be painted ...