Sensors on Scan

One of the things I like most about science fiction are the gadgets.

Those cool little devices that make life for us mere mortals so much easier.  From lightsabers to sonic screwdrivers and tractor beams to transporters, the SciFi verse is filled with the convenience of beautiful, impressive, but unfortunately fictitious technology.

I’m sorry, did I say fictitious?  I meant FOR REAL.

Yes that’s right.  One really amazing type of science fiction technology is being actualized right now at the Naval Research Laboratory.  One that could change the way we deal with many different types of situations, and could even go so far as to save lives.  So which one of the amazing futuristic inventions is coming to the real world?

No really, The Naval Research Laboratory has essentially created a technology that will allow us to scan an area and determine what’s in it…And it’s small enough that it could potentially fit on your smart phone.  If you’re not impressed yet just wait until you find out the science behind how this thing actually works.

The technology is called SiN-VAPOR, which stands for silicon nanowire vertical array with a porous electrode.  So what does that mean, exactly?

“That means that we have a sensor about the size of a quarter that can detect very low concentrations of analytes in the vapor phase,” explains Dr. Chris Field, a research chemist at NRL, and also a part of what I’m calling the tricorder team.  “So an example would be that we can detect down to the tenth PPB, or parts per billion range.  So to define what that is, we’re able to detect from the background, ten molecules of one analyte versus a billion of other molecules that may be in the same environment.”

The end product is something quite similar to a Star Trek tricorder, Dr. Field goes on to say, in that someone could walk into a room and be able to determine everything that’s in the vapor phase.  So if there’s a carbon monoxide leak, as an example.  If there is an elevated level of oxygen.  If there is something that’s burning.  If a perfume released in a room.  The SiN-VAPOR would be able to detect that.

And that’s only a few of the things this sensor has the potential to do.

“Another example would be similar to like a breathalyzer, only we would be able to detect pretty much anything from what you had for breakfast this morning all the way down to lung cancer,” says Dr. Field.

Which makes this device both incredible and versatile.  Being able to scan what the human eye cannot see is something that could not only prevent bad breath but also help save lives.  It’s also rather compact.  And by that I mean really, really small.

“The current sensor is about the size of a quarter, and within that quarter or about that size we have over a billion nanowires in that surface,” Dr. Field explains as he holds the tiny tricorder chip in the palm of his hand.  “Each wire is a sensor, so we essentially have a billion sensors on the size of a quarter.  The final form factor for the sensor, or the final product from this research will hopefully be something that can fit onto a cell phone.  Cell phones are ubiquitous in the world these days and we would love to have our sensors on every cell phone in the world.”

Talk about convenient.  I could have my music, my apps, my contacts and my scanner on my phone?  Well I’m sold.  But Dr. Field doesn’t want to stop with the cell phone.  Indeed, NRL has some bigger (and might I add convenient) plans for their vapor scanner.  Something that could change the way we travel.

In a good way.

“Another application [of this technology] would be to take that sensor and apply it to checkpoints or security so that you would never have to wait in line anymore at the airport.  So imagine the airport itself is an entire checkpoint.  So there are these small tiny vapor sensors distributed throughout the entire airport and they work together with wireless communication to map out what different vapors are in the environment.”

This basically means that there could be a future where we no longer have to wait in long security lines and take our shoes off at the airport.

These sensors could basically work around the clock, silently and painlessly scanning the crowds, on the prowl for dangerous materials.  It seems like a more attractive option than the hop-on-one-foot-to-put -shoes-back-on dance that happens now.  Not to mention more effective.

The SiN-VAPOR technology is also something that could help first responders, firefighters, and medical professionals by serving as a preventative measure.  Especially in places where prevention is the first line of defense.  Like in a crisis.

“We portray this as something that improves situational awareness,” Dr. Field explains.  “Okay, let’s say there is a fire on a Navy ship. So if our sensors are on a micro-fliers or on a robot designed to automate firefighting capabilities, you would send in the micro-fliers first as a first responder to show you know what’s going on in the room, where is the fire at, what vapors are being released, is it in a room that has other things we need to be concerned about, and then relay that information back to the central supervisory control system or on top the robot itself.  So before they open that hatch, before they enter that room, they know what’s going on inside.”

Imagine the benefits something like this could have for the military.  Searching for roadside bombs, determining threats in hidden areas, looking for hazardous materials; these are all pretty dangerous things that many service members do on a daily basis.  A device like this could keep troops safer while still allowing them to complete their mission…Only from a safer scanning distance.

This sensor can also be made for less than a dollar a piece, and uses less than a microwatt of power, so it won’t break the bank or drain the battery.  Now that’s what I call efficient technology.  Spock would be so proud.

So what science fiction shows does Dr. Field enjoy/is inspired by when he’s not busy turning science fiction into science fact?

“[It’s] a toss-up between Firefly and Battlestar Galactica – the rebooted series.  Those two – I could watch any of those episodes (with an exception of a couple of Battlestar Galactica episodes) multiple times.”

Me too, Dr. Field.  Me too.

Want to know more about this incredible technology?  Click here!

Jessica L. Tozer is a blogger for DoDLive and Armed With Science.  She is an Army veteran and an avid science fiction fan, both of which contribute to her enthusiasm for technology in the military.

I See The Light (Scanner)

(Copyright © 2005 Paramount Pictures)

The concept of new technology is something that always grabs my attention, but no more so than when real research suggests that my dramatic daydreams of science fiction technology might actually become a reality.

So when I heard that the Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) was developing a real life scanning device, my first immediate thought was STAR TREK SCANNER!

And then I took a deep breath, reeled it in, and read more.  I mean, come on, that kind of technology is centuries away…right?

As it turns out, NRL’s scanning device isn’t that far removed from Star Trek’s fictitious future world or Doctor Who’s technoverse gadgetry.  Although, instead of being an impressively multipurpose-yet-unfortunately-fictitious sonic screwdriver, this real life device uses light to scan objects from far away.

The Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) has developed a Photothermal Infrared Imaging Spectroscopy (PT-IRIS) technology for stand-off detection of explosives, illicit drugs, chemical warfare agents and biochemical warfare agents. That’s right; technology that can scan for dangerous objects from a distance.  PT-IRIS has been demonstrated for standoff or proximity detection of explosives.

That, my friends, could be a huge help to our troops.

Being able to “scan” for dangerous items from a safe distance – especially when it comes to explosive materials – would be an unbelievable asset to the warfighter.  Service members would have the benefit of knowing what they’re up against long before they put themselves in the blast range.

And it’s all about seeing the light.  In this case literally.

This approach employs quantum cascade lasers (QCL) to illuminate a sample surface with one or more wavelengths which are selectively absorbed by analytes of interest. With eye-safe QCL power levels, this results in modest selective heating (1-2 oC) of particulate explosives within a few milliseconds, which can be readily monitored at video frame rates of commercial IR cameras.

Basically, the PT-IRIS absorbs the information and relays it back.  The idea of no longer wondering what’s on that suspicious van on the side of the road could literally mean life or death for service members.

Utilizing compact QCL light sources and an IR focal plane array to image the illuminated area, a portable, handheld system design can be realized. Don’t leave home without your explosive-detection device!  No, seriously, you don’t want to leave something like that just lying around.

As an eye safe system, PT-IRIS is ideal for probing surfaces of vehicles, places, people, packages, and boarding passes for explosives and other hazardous chemicals of interest.  This technology could be used everywhere, from police stations to airports, to suspicious parents who think their kids aren’t just “high on life” (okay, maybe not that one…).

That’s all well and good, but really I’m most interested in the idea that our men and women in uniform stand the chance of not being blown up as much. Science fiction hopes and dreams aside, if anything can make our service members safer and more effective, then I say hop to it.

This technology could give a whole new meaning to the phrase “Stand off, we got this”.

Licenses are available to companies with commercial interest.  Want more information on how to make this a reality?  Click here for the rundown, or check out the NRL licensing info on their website.

Jessica L. Tozer is a blogger for DoDLive and Armed With Science.  She is an Army veteran an avid science fiction fan, both of which contribute to her enthusiasm for technology in the military.

NASA Television to Air FameLab Astrobiology Finals from Atlanta

Dwayne Brown

Headquarters, Washington     

202-358-1726

dwayne.c.brown@nasa.gov

 

Linda Billings

George Washington University, Washington

703-635-9799

libillin@gwu.edu

WASHINGTON -- Young scientists are competing to see who is the best communicator. NASA Television will air the FameLab Astrobiology final competition on Monday, April 16, from 7-9 p.m. EDT, live from the Georgia Tech Hotel and Conference Center in Atlanta. Celebrity Nichelle Nichols, known for her portrayal of Lt. Uhura in the original "Star Trek" television series, will host the event.

The competition will be webcast at http://livestream.com/FameLabAstrobiology.

Sponsored by NASA's Astrobiology Program, the event is intended to encourage up-and-coming new scientists to hone their skills in communicating complex scientific concepts. Finalists have three minutes to explain a science topic of their choice to a public audience, using only props they can carry onstage. A panel of science and science communication experts will judge the competition.

Since January, more than 70 early-career astrobiologists have competed in FameLab preliminary competitions in Houston, Denver and Washington. FameLab Astrobiology is an offshoot of International FameLab. It is the first competition in North America. The winner in Atlanta will compete in the International FameLab final competition in the United Kingdom this summer.

For NASA TV streaming video, downlink and scheduling information, visit

http://www.nasa.gov/ntv.

For more information about NASA astrobiology activities, visit http://astrobiology.nasa.gov.

- end -

The Space Shuttle (Narrated by William Shatner)

This is the transcript of a video narrated by celebrity actor and Star Trek captain William Shatner in commemoration of the 50^th anniversary of human space flight.

An idea born in unsettled times…

President Nixon: "we are going forward. America, the united states is first in space."

…becomes a feat of engineering excellence.

the most complex machine ever built…

to bring humans to and from space…

Launch control: "zero and we have lift-off of Endeavour!"

…and eventually, construct the next stop on the road to space exploration.

ISS: "request to take the radio call sign - alpha"

As 30-years of flight draw to a close, its legacy is one of unsurpassed achievement.

NASA's space shuttle.

Space shuttle Endeavour is rolling out to launch pad 39a at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

In 24 missions flown over 20 years, Endeavour has logged more than 103 million miles in space.

The last of NASA's shuttles to be built, Endeavour prepares for her final flight, STS-134.

Endeavour's six astronauts have trained for this mission for years.

Well before any shuttle reaches the launch pad however, a staggering amount of work is required. The parts, plans and people necessary to make each launch span the entire nation.

Paul Hill: "You've got all these people, all these folks that are in their twenties and thirties and they are no kidding in charge of some part of the space shuttle, some part of the space station or some part of the plan and everyone of those people absolutely believes that they are the one that makes the difference on getting those astronauts back down to the ground alive."

T-minus three years to launch:

At NASA's Michoud assembly facility in New Orleans, production begins on the shuttle's external fuel tank, the last of 136 produced here since 1973.

Around the same time, in Clearfield, Utah, technicians at ATK launch systems start work on the shuttle system's solid rocket motors, or boosters.

Unlike the orange external tank that is used only once, the boosters detach themselves and parachute into the Atlantic Ocean. They are then retrieved, refurbished and reused on later missions.

T-minus two years to launch:

The shuttle mission's crew is assigned.

Right up until launch, a shuttle crew will train in a variety of critical regimens, some basic, others specific to their mission.

Simulators –

Safety and contingency –

Science experiments-

And underwater… in the world's largest indoor pool.

T-minus three months to launch:

One month later, the E.T. is mated to the solid rocket boosters to form the "backbone" of the stack.

Now, all that's missing -- is the spacecraft itself.

T-minus five weeks to launch:

Looking now much like it will at liftoff, the space shuttle is carried to the launch pad atop the six-million pound crawler-transporter at a blazing pace of less than a mile an hour.

Not exactly warp speed.

Dan Drake: "At our peak carrying full load, we get around thirty-eight feet per gallon"

Not bad for an original 1965 hybrid vehicle with low miles. The 3-point-4 mile journey takes up to six hours…

T-minus four weeks:

Now on the launch pad, the orbiter is ready to take on its main payload. Testing assures that the multi-ton cargo is secured and safely stowed in the payload bay before technicians certify the orbiter is ready for launch.

T-minus four days to launch:

Flying t-38 aircraft from Ellington Field in Houston, the crew members arrive at Kennedy's shuttle landing facility.

T-minus nine-minutes:

Launch control / Stephen Payne: "This is the STD (Shuttle Test Director) conducting the launch status check- all stations verify ready to resume count and go for launch. OTC? OTC go. TBC? TBC, go. ETC? ETC go."

After nearly three years, hundreds of thousands of hours logged by engineers, technicians, scientists, seamstresses, electricians, and other program workers across the globe…

mission control: "we have main engine start- 2, 1, booster ignition… "

The shuttle makes its way skyward.

At liftoff, 6.6 million pounds of thrust begin hurtling the vehicle and crew at speeds that'll reach 17,500 miles per hour.

The shuttle is like no other machine ever built. For its launch to succeed, more than a million parts must move together -- perfectly.

How this engineering marvel came to be is an amazing story that begins in the early 1970s.

A new mission is sought for NASA to send humans into space. But Mars, for many the next logical step on the path of exploration, is dismissed as too costly a destination for a country pre-occupied with events back on earth.

Instead, on January 5th, 1972, another destination is selected, Low-earth orbit.

Charlie Bolden: "President Nixon really liked the idea and told the NASA Administrator go do it. And the NASA Administrator got a call from OMB the next morning and someone there said hey! What the President really meant to say was you're going to get this much money, and so do as best you can with the space transportation system and our choice, logically, was to have a vehicle first and that was the birth of the space shuttle as the first in the three-part space transportation system."

Many designs were considered. Often, they combined the best features of different concepts.

One was the use of a lifting body, an aircraft with no conventional wings. Only its fuselage would keep the aircraft airborne and guide it safely back to earth.

John McTigue: "At that time they were looking at having jet engines on the shuttle for landing and transporting it across the country."

Peter Merlin: "They were known as the flying bathtubs. For the first test, the M2F1 was towed behind a car, a powerful Pontiac. Whitey Whitesides drove that Pontiac across the lakebed about one hundred and twenty miles per hour.. Dragging this flying bathtub behind it."

As well as groundbreaking, their tests could also prove… ground-shaking.

September, 1976. More than four-and-a-half years after President Nixon signed off on its development, America's new spacecraft, constitution, gets its first close up before the cameras.

The orbiter itself was well-received by the public. But impassioned fans of a particular, long-cancelled television series called "Star Trek," wanted it called something else.

They staged a successful write-in campaign, and the orbiter was re-named for the "starship" featured on the show. Thus, NASA's new shuttle would be: the Enterprise, boldly going as no spacecraft had ever gone before.

Whatever its name, this bird still needed to prove it could fly.

In an age before computer simulations, balsa wood models and wind tunnel testing was the only means to test the airliner-sized glider.

Joe Engle: "We put together a very aggressive flight test profile that consisted of data-points continuously all the way down. There was not a matter of ten seconds that went by without another pitch doublet or rudder kick or an angle of attack sweep… the things that really turn on a test pilot to fly them as accurately as possible."

August 12, 1977. On a crystal clear California morning high above the Mojave Desert, two NASA test pilots ready for Enterprise's first flight. The plan was for Fred Haise, Jr. And Gordon Fullerton to lift the orbiter off a modified 747, then land on a dry lakebed 15-thousand feet below.

Columbia, NASA's first orbiter, is fittingly named after the first American vessel to circumnavigate the globe.

While a new class of NASA astronauts trained for subsequent shuttle flights, Columbia was undergoing preparations for the program's maiden voyage: STS-1.

Veteran astronaut John Young, one of the twelve men to set foot on the moon, is in command. His pilot is first-time flyer, Bob Crippen.

Together, they would travel over a million miles and circle the earth 36 times.

Bob Crippen: "John used to say – Crip, they are getting ready to light off seven million pounds of thrust under you, aren't you a little bit excited? You don't know what's going on but <>both John and I know what was going on."

Launched like a rocket two days earlier, Columbia lands as a glider on the dry lake bed of Edwards Air Force base in California.

Bob Crippen: "We do a big turn around to land on the lakebed from that first flight and I remember when John went into a left bank, I looked down at the lakebed and there's thousands of people out there. " John! Look at all those folks!... Which had come on out to see us land."

Thomas McMurtry: "Anyone who was associated with the program or there just to see the shuttle return I think felt a lot of pride in our country, and our space program and so, those emotions were, you know, finally released and you said wow, the flight was done safely, they're back home, the shuttle really does work, it's a great program and has a great future ahead of it.

Launch control montage: "Lift off of the Challenger, Columbia, Discovery, Atlantis, Endeavour"

For more than 30-years, the fleet - and the thousands of Americans dedicated to its success have toiled in exhilarating triumph, heartbreaking tragedy and, most often, quiet obscurity.

Their contributions have extended beyond the bounds of space.

Among others, shuttle-derived technologies have been used in developing an artificial heart and limbs, 3-dimensional biotechnology, a light for treating tumors in children, improving crime prevention and wildfire detection.

From crawler driver to payload specialist, from scuba diver to pilot, from scientist to engineer, they, and many like them throughout the nation, share a commitment to sending humankind safely into space.

That dedication, as much as any other acclaim, will be the legacy of America's space shuttle.

Charlie Bolden: "I think we'll be remembered in thousands of years as perhaps the most incredible technological feat of humans of our time."

As is the order of life, an ending for the space shuttle fleet becomes a beginning for its space bound successor.

Soon, America will again send astronauts into orbit and beyond to do what NASA does best: explore.

The space shuttle; a legacy that forever embodies the heart of a grateful nation and the ingenuity of all mankind.