Award Data

Leveraging Agiltron’s industrial leading developments for optical measurement of motion in MEMS devices, we propose to use electro-optical sensors for measuring the displacement and gap in the NIST micro-rheometer. No electrical connections are required to the moving parts. All electronics and optics are removed from the chip so that it is inexpensive and disposable. A fixed, simple micro-fluidi ...

RoadNarrows proposes a novel architecture to be implemented in a 6DOF vision system with applications in autonomous robotics. The system will report objects of interest along with location and pose information to a supervising computer. This system will be built around an advanced 3D vision platform that can deliver multiple video streams and 3D spatial measurements. The sensors will deliver high- ...

To further advance the characterization and utility of microcantilevers, next generation optical detectors with higher frequency response, improved displacement resolution and lower noise for weak signal detection are needed. Consequently, Radiation Monitoring Devices, Inc. (RMD) will develop a turnkey optical detector module for use in characterizing the displacement and resonant frequencies of m ...

Overhead imagery analysts employ computer-based software as Electronic Light Tables (ELTs), to perform detailed analysis of aerial images in search of elements of interest. Conventional display design for ELT software requires analysts to take their eyes away from the image they are analyzing to perform routine functions. This interaction overhead typically leads to losses in visual momentum and i ...

Physical Sciences, Inc. (PSI) has demonstrated that electroactive polymer coatings (EAP) may be applied to the surface of the cathode materials for lithium-ion batteries to protect against catastrophic cell failure. These EAP coatings form an electrochemical"switch"that can prevent catastrophic failure in lithium-ion batteries by reversibly changing from a conductor to an insulator on overdischarg ...

Micro Air Vehicles (MAV) have emerged as a critical need for the U.S. Air Force. MAVs are envisioned to conduct a variety of indoor and outdoor reconnaissance missions and must be highly mobile and man-portable. Furthermore, many of the envisioned missions for MAVs require significant endurance. Unfortunately, current state-of-the-art lithium-ion batteries are not capable of providing sufficient e ...

This project will design and deliver a high accuracy monitor for the photo-chemically coupled pollutants nitric oxide, nitrogen dioxide and ozone using infrared absorption spectroscopy with quantum cascade (QC) lasers. The target molecules are monitored at air quality stations worldwide using instruments which require frequent calibration and are subject to significant chemical interferences (in t ...

Solid-state light sources promise many advantages over traditional technologies. Among these advantages is the ability to construct a source whose relative spectral distribution can be tuned to better match a desired spectrum. We propose addressing this technical and market opportunity through the development of a novel single-chip semiconductor device which delivers high optical output power (>20 ...

The use of thermal neutrons has been widespread over the past several decades in many investigations such as non-destructive testing (NDT), neutron radiography and macromolecular crystallography. For some applications such as crystallographic diffraction studies, neutrons are scattered over 4o in space and an ideal detector would be able to image the scattered radiation on a spherical surface. Cur ...

Current methods to assess system effectiveness often require the development of prototype systems and costly evaluation studies. Several heuristic approaches exist to support technology selection and implementation services, however a scientifically-basedprocess is needed that will consider the functionality that new technology provides, the missions that these systems will be applied to, and the ...