NASA Spinoff: Aerospace
To discover why astronauts returning to Earth frequently experience head and neck injuries, NASA awarded SBIR contracts to miniaturize an acceleration data recorder. It’s now used in safety testing for parachute drops, cars, drones, and more.
NASA Spinoff: Robotics, Automation & Control
As international trade is beginning to digitize its documentation and transactions, an AI technology born with the help of NASA’s Ames Research Center offers an automation solution.
NASA Spinoff: RF & Microwave Electronics
Satellite builders now have the option of using small, collapsible dish antennas made by Tendeg LLC of Louisville, CO, which developed them with funding and cooperation from NASA, along with the patented technology developed at JPL. Read on to learn more.
NASA Spinoff: Aerospace
NASA feedback enables better display systems for aircraft as well as interfaces on the infotainment and instrument cluster displays of many cars.
NASA Spinoff: Manufacturing & Prototyping
Creators of the original antigravity treadmill for astronauts in space have now developed a new treadmill that uses air pressure to counter gravity, making running possible for people with injuries and other conditions.
NASA Spinoff: Medical
Recent successes in cultivating human heart tissue, knee cartilage, and pharmaceutical crystals in space have relied on technology that was initially developed decades ago with support from NASA.
NASA Spinoff: Aerospace
The first practical fuel cells were developed in preparation for NASA’s Apollo missions because batteries would have weighed too much. The group that produced these fuel cells, now called HyAxiom Inc., sells commercial fuel cells to power buildings and utilities.
NASA Spinoff: Sensors/Data Acquisition
NASA’s advancements in materials research for ion thrusters enabled Orbion Space Technology to bring high-efficiency ion thrusters to the commercial satellite industry.
NASA Spinoff: Test & Measurement
An ultrasonic technology for inspecting the heat shield on NASA’s Orion spacecraft is now being used for evaluating seacraft hulls made with advanced composite materials.
NASA Spinoff: Materials
The new possibility of 3D-printed aluminum engine parts will mean significant savings for NASA in terms of time, money, and, most importantly, the weight of future spacecraft. Elementum 3D Inc., a partner on the project, is now bringing the benefits of that technology to its customers.
NASA Spinoff: Aerospace
How an engineer who holds dozens of patents for optoelectronics —technology that combines light and electricity — became one of world’s leading figures at the intersection of math and paper folding.
NASA Spinoff: Medical
The Eyegaze Edge system developed in collaboration with NASA is an eye-tracking technology that makes 'talking' possible for people who can’t.
Blog: Test & Measurement
A technology developed for NASA to identify pathogens inside spacecraft turned out to be beneficial for wastewater surveillance on Earth.
NASA Spinoff: Sensors/Data Acquisition
Wireless microphone array quickly, cheaply, accurately maps noise from aircraft and much more.
NASA Spinoff: Sensors/Data Acquisition
The wrist-worn device astronauts have been using to collect data is going out of production, and the EmbracePlus could address some of the limitations of the previous device, including comfort and connectivity, especially given that the other device doesn’t stream data in real time.
NASA Spinoff: Power
The first FDA-cleared wireless arthroscopic camera for minimally invasive knee surgeries and other orthopedic procedures got early support from NASA.
NASA Spinoff: Manufacturing & Prototyping
NASA’s invention inspired an innovative design for a better automobile disc brake that’s much lighter and drastically improves the braking performance.
NASA Spinoff: Design
Additive manufacturing is allowing NASA to deliver payload services and launch services at a better price point.
NASA Spinoff: Aerospace
A ruggedized video camera designed to withstand the shock, vibration, and extreme temperatures of space is now ready for extreme conditions on Earth.
NASA Spinoff: Software
NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope pushed optical modeling capabilities, driving advances in software used to design medical and augmented reality devices.
NASA Spinoff: Sensors/Data Acquisition
Traffic-Aware Strategic Aircrew Requests (TASAR), developed by NASA, is a piece of software pilots and ground operations teams can use to find better routes in transit.
NASA Spinoff: Materials
A coating material developed by NASA for protecting spaceplanes’ heat shields is now being used in high-tech fibers and fabrics.
NASA Spinoff: Sensors/Data Acquisition
NASA engineers have been trying to improve data visualization for decades. Their research, experience, and patents lead to a new method of exploring and visualizing data in VR.
NASA Spinoff: Green Design & Manufacturing
An organism that astronauts are studying as a possible protein source for long-duration missions is also informing a project to introduce sustainable fungal proteins to low- and moderate-income communities around the world.
NASA Spinoff: Green Design & Manufacturing
By combining historical and current data from multiple NASA and European satellites, MD-based terraPulse applies AI to create meaningful maps enabling data-driven ecological decisions.
NASA Spinoff: Robotics, Automation & Control
Squishy Robotics’ tensegrity sensor robots gather data at the scenes of fires, crashes, explosions, and other disasters to help first responders determine their approach to a disaster scene.
NASA Spinoff: Electronics & Computers
Traveling-wave tubes designed for NASA are being used not only for satellite systems but also ground applications.
NASA Spinoff: Design
Software for modeling metal parts before 3D printing provides significant savings in cost and time compared to conventional physical testing.
NASA Spinoff: Medical
NASA-designed technology helps detect people trapped under several feet of rubble after earthquakes.
