Award Data

Improved measurements of atmospheric CO2 are needed to better characterize processes involving carbon transformations of soil, vegetation, and associated ecosystem components, and exchanges with the atmosphere. However, current state-of-the-art CO2 sensors neither have the accuracy at the low end (portable units) nor can meet the constraints in power/weight/size/cost at the high end (laboratory in ...

Precisely sensing nuclear detonations is critical to preventing the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. Extreme sensitivity on the order of approximately 0.5 ng/sqrt(Hz) is desired, along with robustness and low cost. All three axes of acceleration must be detected. However, current sensors are too large or too insensitive to be widely distributed in a sensor network. To overcome these l ...

Agiltron proposes an uncooled two-color MWIR imaging system to meet all the critical attributes necessary to satisfy HFI imaging requirements as well as providing a low cost alternative sensor for all USMC and USN fixed and rotary wing aircraft at risk. Agiltron’s solution is based on our revolutionary photomechanical imaging technology to fabricate uncooled large pixel array MWIR imagers couple ...

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project will develop and test a novel system for providing patients in physical and occupational therapy customized visual and aural feedback as a rehabilitation tool. The proposed 'augmented feedback' system will allow therapists to supplement their own verbalized feedback with visual and aural feedback concerning the subtle nature of a movem ...

Proliferation of nuclear weapons is a serious threat in the world today. One way to determine the presence of nuclear weapons is to detect neutrons emitted by special nuclear material(SNM) such as highly enriched uranium and weapons grade plutonium. The purpose of this project is to develop improved solid state neutron detectors from CVD diamond for homeland security applications. Phase I work wil ...

New technology is needed for nondestructive inspection (NDI) of defects in metallic components on aircraft. Small cracks and flaws in multilayer components near rivets and fasteners are a particular concern. Other problems include detecting and characterizing small defects in highly confined areas. An NDI technology capable of imaging deeply buried defects at various layers of a component under a ...

Gamma-ray spectrometers consisting of inorganic scintillators coupled to optical detectors such as photomultiplier tubes (PMTs) are an important element of the systems that are used to monitor and prevent the spread of special nuclear materials. Two very important requirements for the scintillation detectors used as gamma-ray spectrometers in homeland security monitoring include high sensitivity a ...

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Radiation Monitoring Devices ( RMD') is developing a digital radiographic imaging technology that is based upon a semiconductor x-ray receptor. The more specific, targeted application is mammographic imaging (including breast tomosynthesis) for which the benefits of this technology will later be described. At the core of this research, RMD is developing the pr ...

Available digital dosimeters are bulky and unable to provide real-time monitoring of dose for space radiation. The complexity of space-flight design requires reliable, fault-tolerant equipment capable of providing real-time dose readings during a mission, which is not feasible with the existing thermo-luminescent dosimeter (TLD) technology, especially during extravehicular activities (EVA). Real ...

High-resolution scintillation crystals and crystal arrays are important components of current and future handheld and arrayed detectors (used for DOD/DTRA applications), and scintillation spectrometers (routinely used in high energy physics research, medical imaging, diffraction, homeland security, nuclear waste clean-up, nuclear treaty verification and safeguards, and geological exploration). Un ...