Technology transfer is a dynamic process, involving dynamic people as the bridge between NASA Langley Research Center and the outside world. This bridge, for nonaerospace applications, is known as the Technology Applications Group. The introduction of new innovations and expertise where they are needed occurs through a 'push' and 'pull' process. A 'push' occurs when a new technology is first developed with high commercial potential and then a company is found to licence or further develop the technology. The 'pull' process occurs through problem statements. A company or group will submit a written statement of what they need and the shortcomings of commercially available technology. The Technology Transfer Team (T3) reviews these problem statements and decides where NASA LaRC can offer assistance. A researcher or group of researchers are then identified who can help solve the problem and they are put in contact with the company. Depending upon the situation in either method, a Space Act Agreement (SAA), or outline of the responsibilities for each party, is developed

Paynter, Nina P.

English

NASA Technical Reports Server

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Technology Transfer:
A Contact Sport
Written by Nina Paynter
Mentored by Marisol Romero
Technology Applications Group
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https://ntrs.nasa.gov/search.jsp?R=19970003104 2020-06-18T00:11:38+00:00Z
"Put on your tennis shoes, get out there, and meet people!"
-loosely paraphrased from Dr. Joseph S. Heyman
Technology transfer is a dynamic process, involving dynamic people as the bridge
between NASA Langley Research Center and the outside world. This bridge, for non-
aerospace applications, is known as the Technology Applications Group. The introduction
of new innovations and expertise where they are needed occurs through a "push" and
"pull" process. A "push" occurs when a new technology is first developed with high
commercial potential and then a company is found to licence or further develop the
technology. The "pull" process occurs through problem statements. A company or group
will submit a written statement of what they need and the shortcomings of commercially
available technology. The Technology Transfer Team (T3) reviews these problem
statements and decides where NASA LaRC can offer assistance. A researcher or group of
researchers are then identified who can help solve the problem and they are put in contact
with the company. Depending upon the situation in either method, a Space Act Agreement
(SAA), or outline of the responsibilities for each party, is developed.
My mentor, Marisol Romero, developed a two-part project for me, centered around
the process of handling problem statements. The first part was to follow through the
answering of a problem statement, to develop a technology for someone and deliver it. The
second part was to create a database of the expertise at Langley so that the T3s would know
whether the Center could handle incoming problems and, if so, find a researcher whose
expertise matched the need. In the creation of this database, I would have the opportunity
to gain an overview of the center, as well be exposed to a number of engineering
disciplines.
As the first part of my project, I assisted in answering a problem statement from an
Adult Day Care Center in Virginia Beach. One of the patients, a young woman with
cerebral palsy, needed a better computer interface. Her only method of communication was
to select a word from a list, vocalized and recorded by computer. The switch she had been
using to select a word required an attendant, and was difficult to use when her head
position varied. For this project, Marisol asked Bruce Little, from the Fabrication
Division, to mentor me. After a site visit to better understand the specifications of the
project, Bruce Little and I sat down to design a solution. This was my first time designing
and building a device, and Bruce Little was exceptionally receptive to my ideas. He made
me feel like a team member rather than a simple observer of his work. We asked advice
from people in several different areas of the center, and brought together pieces and ideas
from all of them to make a "Chin Mouse".
A "Chin Mouse" device is a helmet mount with an adjustable arm extending
underneath the chin. At the end of the ann is the microswitch apparatus, which is activated
by a depressible platform. The helmet is fully padded, and can be adjusted in height and
width, while the arm can be attached to either side. This provides the flexibility needed,
while allowing independent access to the computer. The "Chin Mouse" is also easily
adaptable for others with similar handicaps.
After the fabrication, I encountered the next step in the technology dissemination
process, the legalities of intellectual property. I wrote and submitted an Invention
Disclosure, and have followed the beginnings of the patent process with vested interest.
More important than a possible patent, however, is the fact that our invention helped this
young woman. Marisol, Bruce and I went to present it to her, and she seemed pleased
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with it. (see attached photo and letter) The story has also been picked up by Channel 3
news and local papers, which provides positive community publicity for Langley and the
technology transfer process.
In this particular case Marisol drew upon her previous contacts to choose Bruce
Little for this project. This is the way that most problem statements are matched with
researchers, ensuring cooperation but not taking full advantage of the Center resources. In
order to allow the T3s to explore resources beyond their personal contacts, Marisol saw
the need for the second part of my project: to gather information about the expertise at
Langley and organize it into a database which can be searched for keywords to match a
problem statement with a person who can support it.
I approached this second portion of my project by first was to gathering the
functional statements of each group, division, and branch. This provided a fairly specific
view on the type of research each section of the center was performing. Along with this
information, I also received a detailed breakdown of the resources of the Fabrication
Division, cataloging the type of personnel as well as each machine. This particular
document also included the Fabrication Divisions of Ames, Dryden and Lewis, allowing us
to possibly redirect a problem statement to a more appropriate facility. From this more
general information, I was then able to begin interviewing specific people. This is the
intended level of the database, in order to pinpoint an actual person to contact. I met the
people I interviewed in three ways: through personal introduction, through further
exploration of technologies Marisol was working with, and through problem statements I
was given to work on. The people of this center were wonderful in their willingness to
take the time to explain their work to me, and in this way I expanded my knowledge of the
possible fields of engineering.
Marisol first introduced me to Milfred Thomas, who runs the Optical Damage
Testing Laboratory. He is a laser expert, and to illustrate his work he allowed me to assist
in the construction of a laser head. I was also given the opportunity to help him in the
design and fabrication of a flow-measurement mount and power supply. Through Bruce
Little I met Lisa Jones, an aerodynamic engineer studying crashworthiness, who provided
a literal overview of the center while she explained her job from the top of the Impact
Dynamics and Crash Testing facility. In working with Diane Flynn, a fellow LARSS
student, I became well versed in composites, starting with a brief lecture on the subject by
Paul Hergenrother, who works with composites and adhesives. Next, Dr. Ruth Pater, the
Senior Polymer Scientist in the Materials Division, gave me a tour of her lab and a
description of one of her inventions: the High Performance Polyimide, LaRC RP 46.
Finally, Phil Ransone and Phil Glaude explained the carbon-carbon piston concept,
providing a background on engines as well as the material.
While Marisol was currently working on the process of matching companies to
several technologies, I was also able to observe the commercialization process, and became
acquainted with several of the "hot" technologies. To gain a better understanding of these
technologies, and to add to my database, I visited a few of the "hot" labs. The inventor of
the Extended Attention Span Training system and the Crew Response Evaluation Window,
Dr Alan Pope, gave me an overview of his work as well as that of the entire branch. The
Crew/Vehicle Integration Branch works on the human factors issues, trying to create
machine systems that complement and enhance human capabilities. Another new
technology of interest is the piezoelectric material THUNDER, which I was introduced by
Richard Hellbaum, Robert Fox, and Robert Bryant. This group of an electrical engineer, a
microelectronics technician, and a chemist, respectively, are developing applications for
this material which moves when voltage is applied to it, with a better displacement for
energy input ratio than available elsewhere. Lastly, James McAdoo explained to me his
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highly marketable method of Digital Mammography, a faster, better way to scan tissue
using a mosaic of CCD's to generate high resolution digital images.
I was also given several specific problem statements to look at, and in my search to
find researchers I added to my database. One of the problems was from a textile machinery
manufacturer, who wanted a system for monitoring the alignment of a pocket on a
shirtfront before sewing. I went to the Data Visualization and Animation Lab (DVAL), and
found their expertise so useful that I arranged for them to present their work to several
interested members of TAG including Joe Heyman, the Deputy Director. The DVAL team
works in scientific visualization, which is applicable to everything from producing
presentation quality videos to computational fluid dynamics. The next problem involved
diagnosis of premature infants with Rentinopathy of prematurity, an eye disease resulting
from abnormal retinal development and causing blindness. The difficulty arises in the
observation of the retina and the display of the information gathered. Surgeons are using a
video camera to record the retina, but are unable to compile the running film into a usable
map of the blood vessel system. Complications arise from the lack of a point-of-reference
for the images on the film, as the infants move their eyes. For this problem I went to
Donald Cahoon, in the Atmospheric Sciences Division. He is an expert on remote sensing
and offered to relay several suggestions to the requestor. The last person I met through
problem statements was John Companion, who I approached for help on more than one
occasion. He works in Non-Destrucrtive Evaluation, developing items such as a Tissue
Simulating Gel and a Bladder Scanner for volume measurement.
Throughout the completion of my project, I met several other people whom I
cannot fit into neat categories in my database. I was allowed to sit in on a meeting between
the THUNDER team and representatives from McDonnell Douglas, during which I was
able to watch ideas being thrown out as they were thought of, and in trying to follow the
discussion I learned more than in most lectures. I was also able to meet the incoming class
of astronauts when they visited Langley. I spoke with David Williams, who give me a
personal perspective on the selection and the requirements of job which symbolizes NASA
in the eyes of most people. I met the entire staff of TAG, an energetic and focused group.
First and foremost is my mentor Marisol Romero, a member of the Technology Transfer
Team in the Medical, Instruments, Sensors, Environmental, and Energy (MISEE) sector.
She works with medical technologies and has an electrical engineering background. She
was my guide and the hub of my network. I also gained a more in-depth and international
perspective on technology transfer from another T3, Lance Bush, whose unique insight
into technology transfer stems from his background as a space craft designer and his
interactions with people involved in space policy throughout the world.
I have worn out my tennis shoes in ten weeks here, and I feel I have gained a broad
perspective of NASA Langley Research Center and the Technology Transfer Process.
Working through a problem statement provided me with the necessary procedural
background to appreciate the need for a database to improve and expedite the process. My
work is only a foundation, and its impact cannot be judged yet. Ideally, it will reflect the
unique, multidisciplinary aspects of this center for TAG to draw upon. The future lies in
communication and cooperation, and Langley is taking steps, in its tennis shoes, toward
that goal.
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" ' City of Virginia Beacl]
VINGINIA BEACH ADULT DAY PROGRAM 400 INVESTORS PLACE. SUITE 107-109
(804) 473-,5.681 VIRGINIA (]EACH. VIRGINIA 23452
Charlie Blankenship
NASA Langley Research Center
Technology Applications Group
MS 200
Hampton, VA 23666
July 20, 1995
This letter is in reference to the development of the Chin Mouse by
Marisol Romero, Bruce Little, and Nina Paynter. The Chin Mouse
will be utilized by our clients who possess extreme motor
impairments to access a computer, as well as small appliances. The
advent of affordable computer technology has created a multitude of
opportunities for persons with severe disabilities to interact with
their environment. However, there are numerous variables which
limit use and affect accuracy, such as range of motion and
positioning. These factors greatly influence motoric ability to
access. Commercially available devices did not address the need
for flexibility in positioning or range of motion for Jennifer.
Flexibility is the primary characteristic which differentiates the
Chin Mouse from other devices. It can be easily adjusted to adapt
its use for numerous individuals with severe motor disabilities.
The most difficult aspect of my work as a special educator for
individuals with severe and profound disabilities is
individualizing programming and equipment to best meet the needs of
my clients. It is often the case commercially available products
are insufficient. Products designed such as the Chin mouse with
flexibility to adapt to changing needs are few and far in between.
Manufacturers are more apt to produce products which address the
needs of the majority of disabilities, rather than a specific
impairment. This philosophy is understandable. Therefore, a
tremendous need exists for assistive technology which addresses the
needs of a few, but can be easily modified to be utilized by many.
Marisol Romero, Bruce Little, and Nina Paynter have accomplished
this.
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Their professional expertise has improved the quality of Jennifer's
life by providing the opportunity for Jennifer to access a computer
independently.
On a personal level they acknowledged Jennifer with dignity and
respect. An aspect of their visits that truly impressed me was the
fact they spoke directly to Jennifer. They did not appear
intimidated by her disability. They were also aware of the need to
maintain confidentiality.
Please continue your community service program. The need for
technical expertise and collaboration among organizations is
overwhelming for our disabled population. Technical expertise is
imperative to further assist individuals to achieve their greatest
potential.
With Sincere Appreciation,
Rosann Fox
Clinician II
pc: Carol Smith
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Technology Transfer: A Contact Sport

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