NASA Langley Research Center in Hampton, VA solicits inquiries from companies interested in obtaining license rights to commercialize, manufacture and market the following technology. License rights may be issued on an exclusive or nonexclusive basis and may include specific fields of use. NASA provides no funding in conjunction with these potential licenses. THE TECHNOLOGY: Scientists at NASA Langley Research Center have developed an innovative, low-cost piezoelectric device designed for controlling vibration, noise, and deflections in composite structural beams and panels. The Macro-Fiber Composite (MFC) was created for use on helicopter blades and airplane wings as well as for the shaping of aerospace structures. The MFC has been internationally recognized for its innovative design, receiving two prestigious R&D 100 awards in 2000, including the R&D Editor's Choice award as one of the 100 most significant technical products of the year. The MFC was also the recipient of the International Forum's prestigious iF Gold award, in Germany, for design excellence in 2004. In March 2007, the MFC was awarded the title of NASA Invention of the Year. The Macro-Fiber Composite (MFC) Actuator is an encapsulated, high-performance, in-plane, piezoelectric fiber composite strain device. The MFC actuator consists of rectangular piezoelectric fibers sandwiched between layers of adhesive and electrode polyimide film. MFCs are similar in concept to Active Fiber Composites (AFCs), differing in the use of rectangular piezoelectric "fibers" diced from PZT sheets. The MFC design incorporates easier-to-handle macrofibers in a simple and repeatable manufacturing process, and places these fibers close to the electrodes to reduce voltage requirements. Thus, the advantages of the fiber's high strain energy, directional actuation, conformability, and durability are retained. When embedded in a surface or attached to flexible structures, the MFC actuator provides distributed, solid-state deflection and vibration control. The MFC has applications for vibration/noise sensing and control, sonar, directional-force and fingerprint sensors, and flow meters. NASA is seeking to license this technology commercially in the United States. US Patents 6,629,341 and 7,197,798. To express interest in this opportunity, please respond to
[email protected] with the title of this Technology Transfer Opportunity as listed in this FBO notice and your preferred contact information. Please also provide how you foresee using the technology along with a brief background of your company. Additionally, please identify any non-US interests/subsidiaries in your company as well. For more information about licensing other NASA Langley-developed technologies, please visit the NASA Langley’s Technology Gateway at https://technologygateway.nasa.gov/ These responses are provided to members of NASA Langley’s Office of Strategic Analysis and Business Development “OSACB” for the purpose of promoting public awareness of NASA-developed technology products, and conducting preliminary market research to determine public interest in and potential for future licensing opportunities. If direct licensing interest results from this posting, OSACB will follow the required formal licensing process of posting in the Federal Register. No follow-on procurement is expected to result from responses to this Notice.