Award Data

This SBIR Phase II project studies the problem of how to engage students in STEM (Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics) education through game-based learning in a Virtual Robotics computer game. In the game, students design, assemble and train virtual walking robots to compete against their peer robots to secure a seat on a virtual mission to Mars. The project analyses the effects of com ...

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II project will focus on developing the process required to produce fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) rebar at scale. FRP rebar offers significant performance advantages when compared to uncoated steel rebar. These advantages include a sevenfold weight reduction, no corrosion - which in turn permits a 30% reduction in concrete usage (and a correspo ...

The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II project is that more patients will benefit from minimally invasive surgery, in which operations are completed through tiny incisions. In addition to patient benefits of less postsurgical pain, less scarring, and quicker recovery, minimally invasive surgery also reduces healthcare cost due to shorter ...

The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II project is to address the need for alternative imaging technologies for women with mammographically dense breast tissue by significantly enhancing clinical breast ultrasound images. Mammography is the gold standard for breast cancer screening; however, both dense breast tissue and cancerous lesions a ...

The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project is in the $1 billion life science research market that is served mainly by multiplex protein tests. The research proposed here has tremendous potential as a tool for highly accurate and robust detection of proteins that have been linked to cardiovascular disease. Additionally, the development ...

The broader impact/ commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II project is in revolutionizing the current mechanical system design practice across multiple industry sectors. Rather than using multiple rigid parts to create a mechanical system, our compliant design method, inspired by designs in nature, exploits material elasticity to create one-piece compliant s ...

The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research Phase II project will be to stabilize and support a more robust and diverse power grid. The goal is to countervail today's stress on the grid, caused by rapidly growing electric power demand and the integration of renewable power sources. In this project, a distributed energy storage system will be developed that is ...

The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) project will be to develop a microbe to produce 5-hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP) for use as a dietary supplement, and as an animal feed supplement. 5-HTP is a multifunctional natural product that has been used as antidepressant, sleep aid, and appetite suppressant worldwide. In addition, 5-HTP can be used to preve ...

The broader impact/commercial potential of this project stems from its ability to transform excavator operation and control from a primarily skill-based activity to a knowledge-based practice, leading to significant increases in productivity and safety. This is turn will help realize enormous cost savings and reduction of potential hazards to the public, improve competitiveness of U.S. constructio ...

The broader impact/commercial potential of the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project is to make more medical tests available at distributed testing facilities like clinics and pharmacies at a lower cost. To accomplish this, this project seeks to develop labels for biomolecules and cells which can be accurately quantified in complex environments which will benefit several types ...