TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER ACTIVITIES
AND OPPORTUNITIES

INTRODUCTION

During 1993, the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) experienced considerable growth in activities and opportunities under its Technology Transfer Program. These activities and opportunities are providing new technology and problem solutions to industries located throughout the country. The transfer of this new technology serves to strengthen the nation's economy and benefit the general public. KSC's Technology Transfer Program is being performed and managed under the Technology Development and Transfer Office (DE-TDO) of the Engineering Development Directorate (DE).

TechTracS DATABASE

A special patent and new technology database, TechTracS, has been developed to appropriately monitor various activities and actions regarding technology transfer. Since becoming operational in March of this year, this database now accounts for 646 items of new technology reported since 1980 and 796 action items that have been completed since 1992. Database records for a total of 411 contracts and grants containing patent rights and new technology clauses have also been developed over the past year. This database has a unique feature that automatically generates 63 separate standard letters (as they become due) for processing the new technology items and monitoring the contracts and grants.

The TechTracS database also provides for the administration and processing of inventions under the NASA Patent Program. It serves as an excellent system for monitoring the docketing, evaluating, and processing of patent applications for inventions developed by civil service and contractor employees. TechTracS was developed for KSC by the Research Triangle Institute (RTI). Its success has prompted other NASA field centers to also implement this database for their Patent and Technology Transfer Programs.

APPLICATION ENGINEERING PROJECTS

KSC's Technology Transfer Program had eight application engineering projects that were active during 1993. The main purpose of these projects is to demonstrate a specific application of technology that has resulted from the space program. A highlight of this activity for 1993 was the establishment of a cost-sharing Dual-Use Technology Partnership between the State of Florida and KSC for initiating technology transfer projects with commercial manufacturers located in Florida. The application engineering projects are:

Automated Citrus Tree Assessment

The automated citrus tree assessment project is the result of a Memorandum of Understanding between KSC and the Charlotte County Property Appraiser to establish a computerized system of counting citrus trees. Several Florida county property appraisers teamed with Charlotte County to help fund this project. This system will make it possible for property appraisers to more quickly and more accurately count citrus trees for tax assessment. The first system, including both hardware and software, was delivered to Charlotte County for operational testing and use. (Refer to the Research and Technology 1992 Annual Report.)

Oxygen Concentrator

The oxygen concentrator project is being developed with the Florida Solar Energy Center (FSEC) under the University of Central Florida. The objective is to conduct research toward the development and commercialization of a superoxide ion-conducting electrolytic device for the production of medical-grade oxygen from air. The Research Triangle Institute located a commercial manufacturer that has now agreed to further fund the development of this unique oxygen concentrator.

ATP Assay for Susceptibility Testing

The purpose of this project is to develop a new method of determining drug susceptibility of mycobacteria using an adenosine triphosphate (ATP). Mycobacterium Avium Complex is one of the most common opportunistic infections in AIDS patients. The ATP assay uses a bioluminescence method to measure ATP, which provides a means to measure metabolic changes. Application of this assay to drug susceptibility testing will offer a method with high specificity requiring shorter assay times than current methods.

Digital Hearing Aid

The objective of the digital hearing aid project is to develop a new digital hearing aid and companion hearing assessment and device-fitting procedure that would result in a much improved acoustic amplification for the hearing-impaired. The Central Institute for the Deaf (CID) of Washington University has led the development effort for this digital hearing aid in conjunction with KSC and the Department of Veterans Affairs. The 3M Corporation has served as the industrial collaborator and will manufacture the hearing aid under an exclusive, worldwide patent license to the patents owned by CID. The fabrication of a commercial prototype is now being considered by the 3M Corporation. (Refer to the Research and Technology 1990 Annual Report.)

Conductive Polymer Coatings

In a joint effort with the Department of Energy (DOE), KSC has initiated a project to be implemented at DOE's Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) for developing an electrically conductive polymer which can be used in coating systems that protect metal from corrosion damage. This is the first cooperative project under the DOE Memorandum of Understanding on Federal Technology Transfer Efforts signed by the NASA Administrator and the Secretary of the Department of Energy on July 9, 1992. A joint NASA/DOE CRADA is currently being pursued. (Refer to the Research and Technology 1992 Annual Report.)

Infrared Video Survey System

This is a co-sponsored project initiated with the State of Florida's Technological Research and Development Authority (TRDA) to develop evaluation procedures and ground-truth data needed to verify and promote the commercial use of a space-age, infrared video system for detecting and locating leaks or other anomalies in gas and electric power transmission lines. The project is being accomplished under a team effort involving KSC, the University of Florida, major gas and electric power companies, and an aerial survey equipment company. Two major electric power companies have expressed an interest in utilizing this type of system in conjunction with a geographical information system. In view of this expanded interest regarding how the system should be utilized, the present project will not be continued into the second year.

Ground Processing Scheduling System (GPSS)

The GPSS was developed by KSC, Ames Research Center, and Lockheed Space Operations Company to schedule the numerous events involving the ground processing of the Shuttle vehicle and launcher. The GPSS software was demonstrated at the Technology 2002 Conference in Baltimore, Maryland, in 1992. A commercial software development company in California has now entered into a copyright license agreement with NASA to transition this technology to other areas having potential applications. This license constituted the first NASA copyright license for commercializing computer software.

Universal Signal Conditioning Amplifier (USCA)

The USCA will be a rugged and field-installable self-programmable amplifier that works in combination with a tag random access memory (RAM) attached to various types of transducers. This project is the first of many that will involve dual-use technologies to be developed and utilized for both Government and non-Government markets. Under a special Dual-Use Technology Partnership between NASA KSC and the State of Florida, as represented by the Technological Research and Development Authority (TRDA), this project will require a Florida manufacturer to contribute a minimum of 25 percent of the total project cost. The TRDA and NASA KSC will equally co-fund up to 75 percent of the cost.

The following CHART(9K) shows the current statistics for 1991, 1992, and 1993 on the new technology items being processed. These new technology items reflect the extent of creative developments at KSC.

*Technical support packages (TSP's) provide additional information on technical briefs.

**The 138 monetary awards of $150 each will result in a total of $20,700 being granted to both civil service and contractor employees.

These statistics further indicate a substantial increase in participation in KSC's Technology Transfer Program, especially with an eight-fold increase in industry inquiries that went from 1,143 in 1991 to 9,083 in 1993.