Madison Electric Products (Mentor, OH) offers the C-face ring tachometer that monitors motor shaft RPM when using NEMA C-face, metric flanged, or faced motors. The device is designed with a dual C-face mount to fit between the motor and gearbox, break, or clutch, and has a slim-line profile. Features include single and quadrature...

Tiny antenna with huge capabilities. Advanced, patented antenna technology easily embedded into a wide range of products including wireless mouse, RF keyboard, gamepads, etc. It allows packing high performance and reliability into a small package and higher gain achieved through Leaky Wave optimization.

900/ 1800/ 1900/ 2200 MHz & Bluetooth. Advanced, patented antenna technology for high-performance cellular phones. This miniaturized antenna is designed for embedding into mobile telephones to provide maximum reception and reliability. It allows packing high performance and reliability into a tiny package...

A defrosting technology was developed to protect cell walls and the quality of frozen products during defrosting. Potential applications include the medical and pharmaceutical industries, cosmetic materials, and foods. The system seldom breaks cell walls because of its quick temperature...

The ADCA aerial delivery system reduces cargo loading time, is safe for fragile cargo, and allows loading and unloading to be performed by one person (no special training required). The drop container is designed with a tubular frame, padding materials, a shock-absorbing cushion, and side and bottom air bags to...

A digital phase meter has been designed to satisfy stringent requirements for measuring differences between phases of radiofrequency (RF) subcarrier signals modulated onto laser beams involved in the operation of a planned space-borne gravitational- wave-detecting heterodyne laser...

Use of multiple-antenna radar systems aboard moving high-altitude platforms has been proposed for measuring rainfall. The platforms contemplated in the proposal would be primarily spacecraft, but, in principle, the proposal could also apply to aircraft. The problem of measuring rainfall...

A document discusses the physical and engineering principles affecting the design of the Smart Data Node in the Sky (SDNITS) — a proposed Earthorbiting satellite for relaying scientific data from other Earth-orbiting satellites to one or more ground station(s). The basic concept of the SDNITS is similar to that of...

A paper describes algorithms for guidance and control (G&C) of a spacecraft maneuvering near a planet, moon, asteroid, comet, or other small astronomical body. The algorithms were developed following a model- predictive-control approach along with a convexification of the governing...

A document presents further information on the subject matter of “Controlling Herds of Cooperative Robots” (NPO-40723), NASA Tech Briefs, Vol. 30, No. 4 (April 2006), page 81. To recapitulate: A methodology for controlling a herd of cooperative and autonomous mobile robots exploring the...

A report discusses the development of a computational model of a Mars Explorer Rover maneuvering across terrain under varying conditions. The model is used to increase understanding of the rover dynamics. Increased understanding is helpful in planning further tests and in extending the...

Surfer is an extensible framework for selecting and ranking grid resources. A resource is defined as anything that needs selecting such as compute resources, storage resources, and data resources. The user specifies the set of resource types desired, the constraints that must hold over all the resources, and the...

InvestigationOrganizer (IO) is a Webbased collaborative information system that integrates the generic functionality of a database, a document repository, a semantic hypermedia browser, and a rulebased inference system with specialized modeling and visualization functionality to support accident/mishap...

A recently invented method of detecting a selected messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) or deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) sequence offers two important advantages over prior such methods: it is simpler and can be implemented by means of compact equipment. The simplification and miniaturization...

A process for manufacturing bulk diamond has been made practical by the invention of the High Pressure and Temperature Apparatus capable of applying the combination of very high temperature and high pressure needed to melt carbon in a sufficiently large volume. The rate of growth achievable in this...

A control architecture and algorithms to implement the architecture have been conceived to enable a robot to learn from its experiences and to combine knowledge gained from prior experiences in such a way as to be able to solve new problems. The architecture is an abstraction of an...

The Hypothetical Scenario Generator for Fault-tolerant Diagnostics (HSG) is an algorithm being developed in conjunction with other components of artificial- intelligence systems for automated diagnosis and prognosis of faults in spacecraft, aircraft, and other complex engineering...

A technology is sought that will enable delivery of active cleaning compositions triggered at a specific time/place by a large range of conditions. The solution must be environmentally safe, must function at a pH range between seven and 11 and temperatures between 5 and 80°C, be compatible for...

A small, low-power automatic sensor technology is needed to determine the cloud coverage, cloud ceiling height between 3,000 to 20,000 feet, and visibility up to at least five miles. These measurements must be provided in day and night conditions. The devices need to be small for easy placement at...

Researchers from Freight Pipeline Company (FPC) taking part in a National Science Foundation (NSF)-sponsored project have found that bricks made from fly ash -- fine ash particles captured as waste by coal-fired power plants -- may be even safer than predicted. Instead of leaching minute amounts of mercury as earlier predicted, the...

This modulator was developed to provide circuitry and apparatus that create specialized optical signals suitable for use as a digital photonic clock, a pulse amplitude modulator, and a bi-stable optical memory cell.

More information here.

This monthly review lets you "meet" the new advertisers appearing in Defense Tech Briefs (DTB). Here's a sneak peek at the products, services, and offers available from June's first-time advertisers.

Alpha Security Group is a publicly traded company that seeks to acquire a homeland security or defense business. Contact...

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is researching the use of cell phones equipped with sensors that could detect biological agents such as anthrax, as well as radioactive isotopes and toxic chemicals. Since fixed sensors can't be placed everywhere, the solution could soon be in everyone's hands.

Gentag, a...

The Magtorque sensor provides a simple, low-cost means to monitor torque on rotating elements. It uses a small and magnetoelastic sensor attached to the shaft that is monitored remotely via an inductive pickup. It provides sensitive and repeatable measurements of applied torque without direct physical contact.

...

Beneath the waves near Key Largo, FL, an underwater lab called Aquarius provides a safe harbor for scientists to live and work for weeks at a time. For NASA, Aquarius provides an environment that is analogous to the International Space Station (ISS) and the space shuttle. To maintain Aquarius, NASA recruited Invocon of Conroe, TX,...

A partnership between NASA and the U.S. Naval Academy is offering students the chance to build a satellite called "MidSTAR-2" through a U.S. Department of Defense program that will carry four experiments into space in 2011 to look at different parts of Earth's atmosphere, gamma rays, and solar winds. Scientists at NASA's...

High performance multi-core processors are providing opportunities to consolidate multiple applications into a single system. However, embedded applications often have real-time requirements that cannot be put in jeopardy by other software clamoring for the same system resources such as CPU...

Multiprocessing system architectures come in all shapes and sizes, so it is dangerous to make any generalizations. But perhaps there's agreement that most systems can be classified as either symmetric multiprocessing (SMP) or asymmetric multiprocessing (AMP).

On June 5, NASA's MErcury Surface, Space ENvironment, GEochemistry, and Ranging (MESSENGER) spacecraft flew past Venus just 338 km above the planet's surface and shot a laser into the clouds. Although MESSENGER is on a mission to Mercury, the spacecraft must pass by Venus for a gravity assist en route. In passing, researchers hope to...

A cost-efficient anti-graffiti coating solution is needed for application to flexible PVC film. The coating should add a flexible transparent layer with specific properties: scratch & UV resistant, stable physical behavior between -30 degrees and 90 degrees Celsius, and resistant to solvents and alcohols used for...

ALGOR V20 from ALGOR, Inc. (Pittsburgh, PA) has been named NTB's Product of the Month for June. An integrated CAD/finite element analysis (FEA) modeling environment for working with imported CAD models or building original models, the new release features design scenarios that let a single FEA model contain numerous analyses;...

A new Web-enhanced version of the most commonly used climate modeling system, TeraGrid, will allow many more scientists to test theories about the Earth's climate. Called the Community Climate System Model (CCSM), the new version is actually a collection of interconnected modeling systems. CCSM contains separate climate models...

Amnesty International USA is using powerful satellite cameras to monitor highly vulnerable villages in war-torn Darfur -- the first-ever technological capability by human rights defenders to track possible targets of attack, prevent new atrocities, and save lives.

Unlike other online projects which only document previous...

Methodology for Providing Secure Time Stamps or Signals for Documents and Other Computer Files

The secure time stamps include an externally generated time signal.

More information here.

Medical imaging technology has led to quicker diagnoses of conditions that, when caught early, can be treated. Because such devices are large, however, they are impractical in the limited area of a space vehicle. An on-going NASA project to address the issue involves image fusion, where in-orbit ultrasounds would be combined...

Wind engineers at the University of Florida (UF) have developed the world's largest portable hurricane wind and rain simulator. UF engineers plan to use the machine to blast vacant homes with Category 3 hurricane winds of up to 130 mph, and high-pressure water jets that mimic wind-driven torrential rain. The goal is to learn...

Square leaflet mechanical heart valves allow efficient blood flow with low shear stress because there are no obstructions in the path of blood flow. This patented innovation in mechanical heart valve design is simple, cost-effective, and substantially improves existing mechanical heart valve designs. Rectangular leaflets...

Each month, NTB highlights tech briefs related to a particular area of technology in a special section called Technology Focus. Here are some of the technologies featured in the June issue focus on Test & Measurement.

Multi-Antenna Radar System for Doppler Rain Measurements

A team at NASA's Jet Propulsion...

A group of New York investors will award $1 million a year to the person with the best idea in cancer research, and will share the idea worldwide. The Gotham Prize encourages novel thinking in cancer research and will be selected by a panel of scientists from Harvard University, Johns Hopkins University, and the Cancer...

Researchers at Harvard University and Princeton University have made a crucial step toward building biological computers, tiny implantable devices that can monitor the activities and characteristics of human cells. The information provided by these devices -- constructed entirely of DNA, RNA, and proteins -- could eventually...

A method is needed that allows for the visual detection of the presence of pathogenic bacteria or microbes on human hands. The method must be safe and preferably performed in one action. The solution must be small in size and possibly disposable. Click here to respond to this Tech Need.

Computer scientists at Carnegie Mellon University have developed an algorithm that could significantly boost the efficiency of kidney exchanges, a mechanism for matching live donors with unrelated recipients.

The algorithm makes it possible to create matches for three- and four-way exchanges -- that is, three or four...

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has issued its first-ever reference material designed to improve the performance and reliability of experiments to measure the masses and concentrations of peptides in biomolecular samples. The new reference material is expected to be an important tool in the...

A team from MIT has demonstrated wireless power transfer, which would enable cell phones, MP3 players, laptops, and other portable electronics to charge themselves without being plugged in. Some of these devices may not even need their batteries to operate.

The team was able to light a 60W light bulb from a power...

This technology dislodges and removes microscopic particles from substrates quickly and efficiently, which is necessary for the manufacture of electronics and all forms of work at the microscopic scale. Click here for more info.

In August of 2005, Hurricane Katrina hit the U.S. Gulf Coast and became one of the largest natural disasters in the history of the United States. It resulted in more than 1,800 deaths and more than $150 billion in damages. Katrina's storm surge measured up to 30 feet along the Mississippi coast, with winds at 127 miles per...

Researchers from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute are using a $2 million grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to develop a physics-based virtual model that can simulate a patientís breathing in real time. When used in conjunction with existing 3D models, adding the fourth dimension of time could improve the...

A surface contamination detection system enables accurate, automated, in-line inspection of metallic and composite panels prior to bonding, coating, painting, or welding. The technology is transferable to any application where surface contamination of metal or composite panels is undesirable, necessitating the need for...

Nanotech Briefs® magazine has announced the winners of the third annual Nano 50™ Awards, which recognize the top 50 technologies, products, and innovators that have significantly impacted -- or are expected to impact -- the state of the art in nanotechnology. The winners of the Nano 50 awards are the "best of...

You've got one day left to sign up for NASA Tech Briefs' FREE webinar, Benefits of PXI Express for Next-Generation Testing, sponsored by Geotest-Marvin Test Systems, tomorrow, June 20, at 2:00 pm EST.

Learn the capabilities, benefits, and features of PXI Express as a platform for next-generation test systems and...

What are the patterns of human behavior and movement in crowded cities that turn agitated crowds into anti-social mobs? This question, as well as the ability to configure civic areas as defensible spaces, are addressed by an immersive 3D computational model under development by Paul M. Torrens, a geographer at Arizona State...

The recently released results of the Face Recognition Grand Challenge (FRGC), sponsored by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), indicate that the best face-recognition algorithms perform more accurately than most humans. The FRGC was open to researchers and developers in industry, academia, and research...

Dassault Systemes (Paris, France) offers Version 5 Release 17 of its DELMIA Robotics software that defines and simulates flexible manufacturing devices such as multi-wrist robotic arms. The software offers tooling definition, workcell layout, robot programming, and workcell simulation capabilities. Engineers can plan,...

On June 27, 2007, NASA Tech Briefs will present a FREE webinar on "Virtual Testing at the CAD Stage with Simulation Software," sponsored by Noran Engineering.

In order to successfully compete in the global marketplace, your product design process needs to be the best in its class, delivering innovative...

A University of Colorado at Boulder invention optioned to AgriHouse, a Colorado-based company, may soon enable corn and potato crops to "talk" to farmers about when they need water and how much they need. A tiny sensor clips on to plant leaves and charts their thickness, a key measure of water deficiency and accompanying...

A technology is sought to indicate that a product packed into a rigid metal container has not been tampered with and/or degraded over time. The solution must incorporate a method of communicating this information to the packager, retailer, or consumer. The container may be subjected to a thermal treatment for some canned...

Researchers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign have developed the next generation of self-healing material that mimics human skin by healing itself time after time. The new materials rely on embedded, three-dimensional microvascular networks that emulate biological circulatory systems.

Said Nancy...

Engineers at Purdue University are developing robots able to make "educated guesses" about what lies ahead as they traverse unfamiliar surroundings, reducing the amount of time it takes to successfully navigate those environments. The method uses a new software algorithm that lets a robot create partial maps as it travels through...

Purdue University researchers project a 200 to 500 percent increase in the number of dangerously hot days in the Mediterranean by the end of the 21st century if the current rate of greenhouse gas emissions continues. The study found that France would be subjected to the largest increase of high-temperature extremes. The study...

Fluorescent Nanodiamonds

Glowing nanodiamonds can be tracked as they move through the body and can reveal the inner workings of cells. Firing a high-energy electron beam through diamonds 100 nanometers wide produces permanent defects in their crystal structure that makes them glow under laser light. These...

A nanoparticle made at the University of Central Florida shows promise as a drug delivery device for treating glaucoma, an eye disease that can cause blindness and affects millions of people worldwide. The nanoparticle can safely get past the blood-brain barrier making it an effective, non-toxic tool for drug delivery,...

This monthly review lets you "meet" the new advertisers appearing in NTB and its supplements. Here's a sneak peek at the products, services, and offers available from July's first-time advertisers.

Accuratus Ceramic Corp. (Phillipsburg, NJ) offers Accuflect™ light-reflecting ceramic for high-energy flashlamp-driven...

You've got one day left to sign up for NASA Tech Briefs' FREE webinar, Virtual Testing at the CAD Stage with Simulation Software, sponsored by Noran Engineering. The live event takes place tomorrow, June 27, at 2:00 PM EST.

In order to successfully compete in the global marketplace, your product design process needs...

NASA recently tested the first nanotechnology- based electronic device to fly in space. The test showed that the Nano ChemSensor Unit could monitor trace gases inside a spaceship. This technology could lead to smaller, more capable environmental monitors and smoke detectors in future crew habitats.

A portfolio of technologies applies mid-infrared spectroscopy to the analysis of fluids, including blood, serum, and other biological fluids. Tests are non-destructive and the techniques require no reagents or other chemicals. The spectroscopic signatures obtained from the samples can be used to aid the diagnosis of disease,...

A prototype of what may be the next generation of personal computers has been developed by researchers at the University of Maryland. The system is capable of computing speeds 100 times faster than current desktops and is based on parallel processing on a single chip, an approach that allows the computer to perform...

New and/or advanced curing technologies are needed to incorporate into a metal packaging protective coating and decoration process. Systems could be used in metal containers for aerosols, beverages, food products and specialty packaging, all of which require external and/or internal protective coatings. Click here to...

NASA has released its CLARAty (Coupled-Layer Architecture for Robotic Autonomy) robotic software for public downloading. CLARAty is an integrated framework for reusable robotic software that defines interfaces for common robotic capabilities such as pose estimation, navigation, locomotion, and planning. In addition to supporting...

Brown University researchers have devised a way to control both the size and composition of iron-platinum nanorods and nanowires. Nanorods with uniform shape and magnetic alignment are one key to the next generation of high-density information storage, but have been difficult to make in bulk.

The...