NASA Spinoffs: Computers and Software

The NASA Commercial Technology Program has initiated the transfer of NASA technology to the private sectors for more than 40 years, resulting in the development of products and services that have benefited global competition and the economy. These spinoifs incorporate NASA technology in such areas as health and medicine, the environment, public safety, transportation, computer technology, and industrial productivity.

As a regular feature this year, we are summarizing some of the most recent NASA spinoffs in a variety of industries. This month, our NASA Spinoffs feature highlights Computer and Software products that began as NASA technologies.

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For further information on NASA spinofj technologies, visit www. techbriefs. com/spinoff.

Structural Sizing Software

Originating from NASA's Langley Research Center, Hampton, VA, the HyperSizer® Structural Sizing Software is a design, analysis, and documentation tool to increase productivity and standardization for an engineering design team.

By combining finite element analysis (FEA) with an automated design procedure, Langley developed the software code known as ST-SIZE to further NASA's efforts to automate its capability to perform aircraft and strength analyses, structural sizing, and weight prediction and reduction.

Collier Research Corp., Hampton, VA, obtained an exclusive NASA license for ST-SIZE and combined the code with other company proprietary software. Now marketed as HyperSizer, the software pairs with commercial FEA to enable system-level performance assessments and weight predictions; conceptual and preliminary design optimization of material selection/layup and structural member sizing; and structural failure analysis and automated stress reports. www.collier-research.com

Building Safer Systems

Through several Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) contracts with NASA Ames Research Center, Moffet Field, CA, and Langley Research Center, Safeware Engineering Corp. of Seattle, WA, developed the Specification Tools and Requirements Methodology (SpecTRM) for system safety in software development.

SpecTRM aids system and software engineers in developing specifications for large, complex, safety-critical systems. It enables engineers to find errors early in development so that they can be fixed with the lowest cost and impact on system design.

The technology is based on research-proven methods that have been used on flight management systems, air traffic control systems, and Traffic Alert and Collision Avoidance System. SpecTRM can be applied in the aerospace and transportation industries, as well as in medical devices, and automotive and defense systems. www.safeware-eng.com

Reconfigurable Hardware

Derivation Systems, Carlsbad, CA, developed the PF3100"' using SBIR contracts from NASA Langley Research Center and the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) Air Force Research Laboratoiy. The system allows engineers to develop hardware algorithms using formal verification methods.

The PF3100 is an ultra-highdensity reconfigurable module using Xilinx® Virtex®-II Platform Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs) in the industry standard PC/104 form factor. The module is a multi-function, single-inventory device, and hardware algorithms can be stored in onboard Flash memory or downloaded from a host system.

The PF3100 is used in a variety of aerospace, telecommunications, and industrial applications. It has also been adopted in a broad range of applications including data acquisition, hyper-spectral imaging, robotics, and 3D bio-imaging. www.derivation.com

Global Information System (GIS) Software

Under an SBIR contract with NASA's Stennis Space Center, MS, and through the Montana State University TechLink Center, Visual Learning Systems (VLS), Missoula, MT, developed a commercial software application called Feature Analyst® to address the problems associated with manually extracting geospatial features from digital imagery. The software utilizes spectral, spatial, temporal, and ancillary information to model the feature extraction process; presents the ability to remove clutter; incorporates advanced machine learning techniques for accuracy; and includes a simple interface for feature extraction.

The software also offers many tools for creating multi-class extractions including change detection, 3D feature extraction, data fusion, unsupervised classification, and advanced clean-up and post-processing.

Recently, VLS and Redlands, CA-based Environmental Systems Research Institute, Inc., (ESRI) signed a strategic agreement that allows ESRI to market and resell Feature Analyst. The agreement focuses on solutions for defense and intelligence, homeland security, and environmental, educational, and local government GIS markets, www.vls-inc.com