Award Data

Designing actuation hardware for autonomous systems is challenging due to the high weight and power consumption of conventional actuators and clutches. Compared to existing clutch technologies, the electroadhesive clutches produced by ESTAT have exceptional holding force as a ratio of both mass and power consumption. They weigh 10x less and consumes 1000x less power than other clutching technologi ...

We propose incorporating lightweight and energy-efficient electroadhesive clutches into a skin over the the body of a morphing wing to actively control the overall stiffness of the wing.

Greater deployment of helmet-mounted equipment has increased the frequency of neck pain, fatigue, and injury experienced by pilots at high-g, driving the need for a head and neck support system. Most fighter pilots have experienced flight-related neck pain during their career, causing serious ramifications for force readiness. Previously developed solutions are typically passive or one-use devices ...

This STTR Phase I project will develop a novel toxic material storage bag with an inner liner capable of decontaminating chemical and biological warfare agents (CBWA’s).. The inner-liner technology would entail adsorption and decomposition of warfare agents without the release of toxic agents, and will result in a storage bag capable of being disposed of in an environmentally safe fashion. The ...

When solar energy is used in aerospace applications, the necessary shadowed parts of the spatial orbit require energy storage for the craft/equipment to continue in operation. Batteries are used for the purpose currently, but with increasing power requirements, more efficient charge storage devices have to be developed. Energy storage technologies are expected to have improved energy density, spee ...

Components of lunar habitat and crew modules in the lunar vehicle are constantly exposed to hazardous space conditions, such as ionizing radiation, electromagnetic interference, orbital debris, and solar flares. The safe functioning of crew and instruments and survivability require effective radiation protection. There is also the desire to reduce the weight of parts in Space missions. In Phase I, ...

The proliferation of nuclear weapons has increased the possibility of their availability to terrorist organizations. This poses a serious threat to both military and civilian populations. An RDD attack could result in high casualties, if the explosion occurs in a battlefield, office building, indoor stadium, airport, or train station. The emotional upheaval of the public and the economic loss thi ...

The E-SAPI specification describes the protection level of a soldier’s body armor in response to an AP, M2 round. Presently this is addressed largely through the use of boron carbide plate inserts for an outer tactical vest. A unique materials architecture is proposed with the possibility of increasing the armor’s ballistic mass efficiency and therefore allowing for the lowering of the armor w ...

INHOMOGENEITIES AND/OR DEGRADATION IN ENGINEERING MATERIALS, PARTICULARLY ADHESIVE JOINTS, PRESENTS AN AREA OF CONSTANT AGGRAVATION TO BOTH DESIGNERS AND MANUFACTURERS. PREVIOUS RESEARCH HAS SHOWN THAT THE RESPONSE OF STRUCTURAL COMPONENTS TO IMPOSE VIBRATIONS CAN BE USED TO CHARACTERIZE THEIR INTEGRITY. THIS PROPOSAL OUTLINES A RESEARCH PROGRAM TO EXPLORE THE POSSIBILITY OF USING THE PREVIOUSLY D ...

NEW AND INNOVATIVE NONEQUILIBRIUM MATERIALS FOR VARIOUS SPACE STRUCTURES ARE NEEDED FOR STRATEGIC DEFENSE. ONE AREA WHERE LITTLE ATTENTION HAS BEEN FOCUSSED IS THE DEVELOPMENT OF SOLID LUBRICANTS. THE POTENTIAL USE IS BEING EXPLORED OF HIGH LEAD BEARING COPPER ALLOYS(UP TO 50% LEAD) AS BEARING MATERIALS; BATTERY GRIDS THAT WOULD REPLACE THE CURRENTLY USED LEAD ALLOYS; AND POSSIBLE COATINGS FOR HIG ...