Technology Opportunity Showcase highlights some unique technologies that NASA has developed and which we believe have strong potential for commercial application. While the descriptions provided here are brief, they should provide enough information to communicate the potential applications of the technology. For more detailed information, contact the person listed. Please mention that you read about it in Innovation.

Technology Opportunity Showcase

Hot NASA Technologies

Acoustic Phased Arrays for Noncontact Fluid Agitation and Manipulation

A new ultrasound technique using low-cost solid-state piezoelectric transducers has been developed to nonintrusively agitate fluids. Acoustic radiation pressure is the mechanism used to drive a phased array of these transducers—analogous to larger scale radar installations—to deliver controlled, focused patterns of acoustic-wave energy to a liquid volume without direct contact or the use of conventional hardware. Applications for acoustic radiation pressure agitation include mixing and delivery systems for inks, paints, and adhesives, as well as advanced particle-liquid separation systems, pharmaceutical fluids handling and food processing.

National Combustion Code

NASA's Lewis Research Center is currently soliciting nonaerospace companies for specific application areas in which the accuracy and reliability of the National Combustion Code (NCC) could be demonstrated under cooperative research agreements. This joint federal industrial partnership to develop the NCC will provide engineers with insight—for the first time—into the entire combustion process using a versatile and comprehensive set of software design tools. Advanced design, simulation and postprocess evaluation of liquid and gaseous combustion systems can be performed using the NCC. This period of industrial demonstration and problem solving will precede the licensing of nonproprietary executable NCC source code to U.S. companies, which is currently planned for the summer of 1999.

Intercalated Graphite for Lightweight Electromagnetic Interference (EMI) Shielding

Bromine-intercalated-graphite-fiber-polymer composites have been developed at NASA Lewis to shield EMI-sensitive electronics using lightweight, durable housings. These housings weigh less that 15 percent of aluminum structures. While this materials technology is attractive for aerospace fuel savings, it is also attractive for weight savings in automotive as well as portable, lightweight equipment applications, such as notebook computers, cellular phones and consumer electronics. Recent breakthroughs have now made this technology more attractive for commercial development, and process patents are currently available for licensing. Bromine-intercalated-graphic fiber is available commercially in modest quantities for prototype applications.

Spacebridge Advanced Internet Database Communication Tool

To access multimedia database information via the Internet, NASA Lewis has developed the Spacebridge Internet software tool. Spacebridge provides users with non–real-time communications linkage to information records stored using commercially available multimedia database tools. The Spacebridge software provides users with an advanced software backbone tool that links databases to either Intranet or Internet communications systems and allows for the proper transmission and display of detailed multimedia databases. For example, a medical expert could electronically review the detailed status of a hospitalized patient and provide comments on treatment and prognosis. Other applications for Spacebridge include human resource departments, long-distance learning, crisis management and industrial health management. Interested companies can obtain Spacebridge through a private-use arrangement.

For more information on any of the above, please contact Priscilla Diem at the Great Lakes Industrial Technology Center (GLITeC).
Call: 440/734-1186, Fax: 440/734-0686, E-mail: diem@battelle.org
Please mention you read about it in Innovation.

Optical Robotic Path Planning System

Ames Research Center is seeking companies to license and manufacture the Optical Robotic Path Planning System to serve existing and expanding applications. Ames developed the optical system to rapidly produce a potential field map of a bounded two-dimensional region that can be used by an autonomous mobile robot to guide itself from any location to a goal location while avoiding obstacles. Benefits of the system include a fully parallel optical system, real-time updating potential, no local minima in the final potential field, adaptability to various applications and further miniaturization possible. Commercial uses for the path planning system could include mobile robots that must navigate their work environments, specialized wheelchairs that allow the occupant to navigate the chair around, remotely controlled robots that handle hazardous materials, specialized robotic escorts to guide the blind through unfamiliar environments and smarter robots for use on prespecified lines in warehouses and industry floors.

For information, contact Phil Herlth at Ames Research Center.
Call: 650/604-0625, Fax: 650/604-1592, E-mail: pherlth@mail.nasa.gov
Please mention you read about it in Innovation.