NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Abstract:

Catherine Huybrechts Burton founded San Francisco-based Endpoint Environmental (2E) LLC in 2005 while she was a student intern and project manager at Ames Research Center with NASA's DEVELOP program. The 2E team created the Tire Identification from Reflectance model, which algorithmically processes satellite images using turnkey technology to retain only the darkest parts of an image. This model allows 2E to locate piles of rubber tires, which often are stockpiled illegally and cause hazardous environmental conditions and fires.

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Abstract:

The National Biocomputation Center, a joint partnership between the Stanford University School of Medicine's Department of Surgery and NASA's Ames Research Center, is the test bed for much of NASA's research in telemedicine, the remote delivery of medical care. In early 2005, researchers at the National Biocomputation Center formed a spinoff company, Intelesense Technologies, to use the telemedicine sensors to provide integrated global monitoring systems. Intelesense uses the systems to better understand how environments and people are linked, monitor and protect natural resources, predict and adapt to environmental changes, provide for sustainable development, reduce the costs and impacts of natural disasters, and provide an effective and intelligent response to such disasters. Current projects range from protecting the environment to tracking emerging infectious diseases like avian influenza (bird flu) and helping people from around the world connect and interact with each other to better understand their environment and themselves.

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Abstract:

To help air traffic control centers improve the safety and the efficiency of the National Airspace System, Ames Research Center developed the Future Air Traffic Management Concepts Evaluation Tool (FACET) software, which won NASA's 2006 "Software of the Year" competition. In 2005, Ames licensed FACET to Flight Explorer Inc., for integration into its Flight Explorer (version 6.0) software. The primary FACET features incorporated in the Flight Explorer software system alert airspace users to forecasted demand and capacity imbalances. Advance access to this information helps dispatchers anticipate congested sectors (airspace) and delays at airports, and decide if they need to reroute flights. FACET is now a fully integrated feature in the Flight Explorer Professional Edition (version 7.0). Flight Explorer Professional offers end-users other benefits, including ease of operation; automatic alerts to inform users of important events such as weather conditions and potential airport delays; and international, real-time flight coverage over Canada, the United Kingdom, New Zealand, and sections of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. Flight Explorer Inc. recently broadened coverage by partnering with Honeywell International Inc.'s Global Data Center, Blue Sky Network, Sky Connect LLC, SITA, ARINC Incorporated, Latitude Technologies Corporation, and Wingspeed Corporation, to track their aircraft anywhere in the world.

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Abstract:

Development of prototype imaging spectrophotometers that enabled them to acquire spectra directly from bacterial colonies growing on the surface of a Petri plate. This type of imaging instrument analyzes a combination of spatial and spectral information so that spectra can be obtained for each feature in an image. Analyses of this kind were initially applied by NASA to rather large scenes, such as planetary and remote sensing studies. In 1991, Yang and Youvan founded KAIROS (now KAIROS Scientific, Inc.) to extend Yang's NASA "know-how," plus the imaging spectrophotometers initially developed for laboratory-based photosynthesis studies, to the fields of materials science, health, and biotechnology. Today, KAIROS Scientific develops molecular biology methods, instrumentation, and computer algorithms to create solutions for a host of clients that includes multinational specialty chemical companies, large pharmaceutical firms, and academic laboratories.

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Abstract:

A team of engineers at Ames Research Center invented an environmentally friendly anti-icing fluid to keep hazardous ice from building up on airplane wings. The typical approach to clearing off the ice is to use a deicing solution once the ice has built up. The fluid created by the Ames team, though, when applied to a dry surface, prevents the ice from even forming a surface bond, which saves deicing time and money, while also preventing excessive use of chemical solvents rivers, or bodies of water that support life. WorldSource, Inc., of Palm Desert, California, a developer and distributor of products for the consumer marketplace, is marketing the fluid as Ice Free, a spray for automobile windshields that can provide protection down to 20ºF.

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Abstract:

In the spring of 2002, NASA and several of the eventual founders of PureSense sponsored a series of work sessions for emergency response and water system agencies, with representation from a wide variety of Federal, state, local, and first-response officials. The sessions focused on understanding how to deal more effectively with bioterrorist attacks. The would-be founders of PureSense brought experience in building and using multi-disciplinary applications of real-time intelligence systems and communications technology; these were integrated into a proof-of-concept hardware and software system application to support collaborative surveillance, detection, response, and recovery. The system demonstrated several of NASA's remote-sensing, advanced data-analysis, simulation, and scientific data-visualization technologies and repurposed them alongside other technologies and applications to facilitate cohesive, rapid decision-making across the agencies. These experiences ultimately led to the launch of the PureSense company. Today, PureSense is providing customers in the commercial and municipal markets with a cost-effective online service to detect, know, and respond immediately to critical changes in the quality of water and air, and to do so in real time. Early endorsements for the PureSense system have been received from some of the Nation's largest water companies, including the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, the second-largest municipal water company in the United States.

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Abstract:

To enable low-cost space access for advanced exploration vehicles, Ames Research Center invented and patented a protective coating for ceramic materials (PCCM) in 1994. Wessex received a license for PCCM in 1996 and initially applied it to building materials for firewall applications. Through further testing and experimentation, however, the company would eventually come to learn the true potential of PCCM, leading to longer-lasting materials, greater energy conservation and fuel efficiency, increased productivity, and significantly reduced operating costs for numerous U.S. businesses. Known commercially as Emisshield,T Wessex's PCCM product mirrors NASA's original protective coating in that it provides increased "hemispherical" emissivity-the ability to absorb energy and reradiate it to a cooler surface, body, or atmosphere. Like PCCM, Emisshield can be reused and repeatedly cycled between severe extremes of subzero temperatures and temperatures over 3,000 ?F, without ever damaging the protective coating or the underlying material. With each use, the coating's molecular structure is rearranged to create a stronger bond between the coating and the underlying material, and an even greater level of thermal protection. Wessex has embraced a high rate of success with Emisshield beyond its initial fireproofing accomplishments.

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Abstract:

NASA's Earth Science Enterprise partnered with the U.S. wine and commercial remote sensing industries for a project known as the Viticultural Integration of NASA Technologies for Assessment of the Grapevine Environment (VINTAGE). Based on VINTAGE's applied research, VESTRA Resources, Inc., released the Vineyard Block Uniformity Map. VESTRA employed the ArcViewT 8.2 and ArcGIST Spatial Analyst software from Environmental Systems Research Institute, Inc., to find the percent coefficient of variation (a standard statistical measure) for each block within a 1,000 acre vineyard based on NDVI. The result was a vineyard-level map quantifying block variability, a helpful tool for crop managers. VESTRA's map product has been delivered to several wineries. The maps can serve as an executive summary, allowing managers at companies with large and widespread vineyard holdings to easily identify blocks where new or revised management practices might need to be implemented. Providing a warning, the maps can indicate if a block shows variation over a certain percent. ArcViewT and ArcGIST are trademarks of Environmental Systems Research Institute, Inc.

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Abstract:

The Specification Tools and Requirements Methodology (SpecTRM) product helps system and software engineers develop specifications for large, complex safety-critical systems. SpecTRM enables engineers to find errors early in development so that they can be fixed with the lowest cost and impact on the system design. It also traces both the requirements and design rationale (including safety constraints) throughout the system design and documentation, allowing engineers to build required system properties into the design from the beginning. SpecTRM provides support for manual inspection, formal analysis, simulation, and testing, while facilitating communication and the coordinated design of components and interfaces. Based on proven research methods in flight management systems, air traffic control systems, and the Traffic Alert and Collision Avoidance System, the product benefits the aerospace and transportation industries. SpecTRM can also be applied to designs for automotive systems, defense systems, and medical devices.

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Abstract:

As a manufacturer and marketer of thermal solutions for residential, commercial, and industrial applications, Hy-Tech Thermal Solutions attributes its success to the high performance insulating ceramic microsphere originally developed from NASA thermal research at Ames Research Center. Shaped like a hollow ball so small that it looks as if it is a single grain of flour to the naked eye, the microsphere is non-combustible and fairly chemical-resistant, and has a wall thickness about 1/10 of the sphere diameter, a compressive strength of about 4,000 pounds-per-square-inch, and a softening point of about 1800 degrees Celsius. Hy-Tech Thermal Solutions improved upon these properties by removing all of the gas inside and creating a vacuum. When these microspheres are combined with other materials, they enhance the thermal resistance of those materials. In bulk, the tiny ceramic "beads" have the appearance of a fine talcum powder. Their inert, non-toxic properties allow them to mix easily into any type of paint, coating, adhesive, masonry, or drywall finish. Additionally, their roundness causes them to behave like ball bearings, rolling upon each other, and letting the coatings flow smoothly.

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Abstract:

Osmotek, Inc. developed the Direct Osmosis treatment system through SBIR funding from Ames Research Center. Using technology originally developed for flight aboard the Space Station, the company brought it to their commercial water purification treatment system, Direct Osmosis. This water purification system uses a direct osmosis process followed by a reverse osmosis treatment. Because the product extracts water from a waste product, Osmotek is marketing the unit for use in landfills. The system can treat leachate (toxic chemicals leached into a water source), by filtering the water and leaving behind the leahcate. The leachate then becomes solidified into substance that can not seep into water.

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Abstract:

Under an SBIR contract with Ames, S.D. Miller & Associates developed new manufacturing methods for multi-layer metal spacecraft insulation that could significantly reduce launch weight and launch costs. The new honeycomb structure is more efficient than fibers for insulation. Honeycombs can be made from metals for high temperature uses, even plastic insulation from recycled milk bottles. Under development are blankets made from recycled milk bottles which will be field tested by the Red Cross and ambulance companies. Currently available are honeycomb mittens based on the same technology.

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Abstract:

The Boeing 777 carries with it basic and applied research, technology, and aerodynamic knowledge honed at several NASA field centers. Several Langley Research Center innovations instrumental to the development of the aircraft include knowledge of how to reduce engine and other noise for passengers and terminal residents, increased use of lightweight aerospace composite structures for increased fuel efficiency and range, and wind tunnel tests confirming the structural integrity of 777 wing-airframe integration. Test results from Marshall Space Flight Center aimed at improving the performance of the Space Shuttle engines led to improvements in the airplane's new, more efficient jet engines. Finally, fostered by Ames Research Center, the Boeing 777 blankets that protect areas of the plane from high temperatures and fire have a lineage to Advanced Flexible Reusable Surface Insulation used on certain areas of the Space Shuttle. According to Boeing Company estimates, the 777 has captured three-quarters of new orders for airplanes in its class since the program was launched.

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Abstract:

The Airborne Ocean Color Imager (AOCI) was developed by Daedalus Enterprises, Inc. for Ames Research Center under a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) contract as a simulator for an advanced oceanographic satellite instrument. The instrument measures water temperature and detects water color in nine wavelengths. Water color indicates chlorophyll content or phytoplankton. After EOCAP assistance and technical improvements, the AOCI was successfully commercialized by Daedalus Enterprises, Inc. One version provides commercial fishing fleets with information about fish locations, and the other is used for oceanographic research.

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Abstract:

Landsat/Seasat remote sensing was used by Ames Research Center to evaluate environmental influence on ancient Mayan civilization. Over 35 archeological sites were imaged and valuable information concerning Maya settlement patterns, environment, and resource usage resulted. The imagery was also used by Mexican authorities to develop coastal management plans, establish Biosphere Reserves and assess damage from the 1988 Hurricane Gilbert. Imagery showed evidence of ancient coastlines, changes in sea level, an ancient river plain and Mayan canal systems. Previously unknown Mayan reservoirs were discovered. The project is considered a pioneering effort combining remote sensing, environmental studies and archeology.

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Abstract:

CROPIX, Inc., formed in 1984 by Frank Lamb, president of the Eastern Oregon Farming Company, monitors primarily potato crops in a 20,000 square mile area of northern Oregon and central Washington. Potatoes are a high value specialty crop that can be more profitable to the farmer if he has advance knowledge of market conditions, knows when to harvest, and when to take it to market. By processing and collecting data collected by the NASA-developed Landsat Earth Resources survey satellites, Lamb is able to provide accurate information on crop acreage and conditions on a more timely basis than the routine estimates by the USDA. CROPIX uses Landsat data to make acreage estimates of crops, and to calculate a field-by-field vegetative index number. CROPIX then distributes to its customers a booklet containing color-coded maps, an inventory of crops, plus data and graphs on crop conditions and other valuable information.

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Abstract:

ATM was developed for NSTL by Daedalus Company. It offers expanded capabilities for timely, accurate and cost effective identification of areas with prospecting potential. A related system is TIMS, Thermal Infrared Multispectral Scanner. Originating from Landsat 4, it is also used for agricultural studies, etc.

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Abstract:

Conditions on the perimeter of a forest fire can be obtained by use of airborne remote sensing techniques demonstrated by Ames Research Center. An Ames U-2 high-altitude survey aircraft served as an aerial fire observation system. Equipped with two types of sensors, the U-2 produces real-time infrared images of fireground scenes. Information acquired by the U-2's scanners defines the fire boundary and aids fire management decisions by showing the size, shape and direction of burn and the locations of hot spots in the fire zone. U-2 sends sensor date in digital form to an antenna at Ames Research Center. There the data is computer processed into images which are overlaid on U.S. Geological Survey topographical maps of the fire area. Maps are then transmitted by telecopy machine directly to fire control center. Whole process takes less than 10 minutes and the U-2 can provide information for up to five hours. Ames antenna can pick up signals from the U-2 anywhere within a 300 mile radius from Ames.

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Abstract:

Standard Packaging Corp. along with NASA assistance developed nunsun, a thin metallized film adhesively bonded to windows of homes, office buildings, schools, industrial plants and other facilities. The film, originally used in Echo and Skylab, reflects sun's heat and glare outwards thereby cutting down on energy costs for cooling. Trained personnel can affix film to windows of any size in minutes, converting ordinary glass to heat-reflective mirror glass at minimal cost.

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Abstract:

Beckman Instruments, Inc. has introduced another technical approach to pollution detection which was used aboard skylab. This technique, developed with Ames assistance is known as nondispersive infrared spectroscopy. Previous nondispersive analyzers could not selectively distinguish between water vapor and carbon monoxide, thus necessitating water removal by another device before measurement. These analyzers also were susceptible to vibrations and other problems. New instrument which stimulates fluorescent in two carbon monoxide isotopes in two sealed cells, eliminates these problems and increases sensitivity to a tenth of a part per million.

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