For Release: May 23, 1996

Keith Henry
NASA Langley Research Center
(Phone: 804-864-6120/4)

Ivonne Collier
Collier Research & Development Corp.
(Phone: 804-825-0000)

Mike Montgomery
Peninsula Advanced Technology Center
(Phone: 804-766-7850)

Ray White
City of Hampton
(Phone: 804-727-6237)

Release No. 96-038

May 29: Interview and Photo Opportunity

Local company first to license NASA Langley software;

PATC and City of Hampton facilitate pioneering step

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NOTE TO EDITORS: Reporters are invited to interview Ivonne and Craig Collier and representatives from NASA Langley, the Peninsula Advanced Technology Center and the City of Hampton during an informal news briefing at NASA Langley at 11a.m., May 29, in B.1232, 8 Langley Blvd. The software program, which includes colorful computer images of an aerospace plane concept, will be demonstrated.

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A Hampton Roads company has become the first to license computer software from NASA Langley as part of the agency's effort to transfer technology to U.S. businesses.

The software was originally developed to improve and speed the structural design of a future aerospace plane for Langley's Hypersonic Vehicles Office. Future uses will include high technology applications as well as such down-to-earth uses as building construction and in the transportation and marine industries.

This is a pioneering step for both NASA and the company, Collier Research & Development Corp. For NASA, it represents the emerging recognition of the value of computer software as a potentially licensable technology. The software intellectual property rights are being treated similarly to hardware patent rights. For Collier R&D, it represents a broadening of its business from engineering consulting to developers and marketers of software technology.

The small Hampton-based company was assisted in preparations for winning the license by the Peninsula Advanced Technology Center (PATC). The NASA Langley Technology Application Group facilitated the copyright assignment which enabled the technology exchange and negotiated the software license with Collier R&D. The licensing is consistent with the City of Hampton's plan to nuture local technology based companies.

Collier R&D is transforming the NASA research computer code into a commerical software package called HyperSizer for use by government and private industry.

The software offers structural engineers and designers shortened design time and improved performance by more accurately and efficiently analyzing and optimizing structures. It is particularly good with advanced composite materials and extreme variations in temperature.

The commercial software package to be developed will integrate with other popular commercial structural analysis and design packages. To expand the product's marketability, Collier R&D will rapidly advance its theoretical and software development.

The package will provide the capability to engineer the performance of the total structural system, each panel or beam component of the structural system, and the structure's polymer, ceramic, or metal matrix composite material. Concrete, wood and traditional metals will be included for technology transfer to applicable fields of use.

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NOTE: News media will be waved through the front gate the day of the event.

text-only version of this release