FabLab Partnership Earns NASA Awards

Based on prior work done in the Maryland NanoCenter’s FabLab in the Jeong H. Kim Engineering Building, a Maryland corporation has won two NASA grants for future work in the facility.

Applied Sensor Research & Development Corporation (ASR&D), a small, female-owned business in Arnold, Md., was selected for two Phase II research projects under NASA’s Small Business Technology Transfer program.

"[The FabLab staff] were all extremely helpful in our Phase I work," said Jacqueline Hines, owner of ASR&D. "And the availability of a resource like the nanofab facility to small companies like ASR&D is truly an enabling factor for our company to do this type of work."

The first project, titled "Passive wireless hydrogen sensors using Orthogonal Frequency Coded acoustic wave devices," involves development of sensors for application to hydrogen leak detection. A more detailed description of the project can be found online.

The second project, titled "Passive wireless cryogenic liquid level sensors using Orthogonal Frequency Coded acoustic wave devices," involves development of sensors for use inside cryogenic (extremely cold) liquid storage tanks to detect liquid levels. Additional information on this project also can be found online.

The Maryland NanoCenter's FabLab supports research programs in nano science and technology, micro-electromechanical systems, electronics materials and devices, bioscience and bioengineering applications and sensor/actuator systems. External users as well as university-affiliated researchers are able to use the facilities.

For further information about the Maryland NanoCenter and FabLab, please visit NanoCenter's web site.

Published April 6, 2007