TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER OPPORTUNITY: Gateway Integrates Wireless Sensors with Existing Aircraft Systems at "the Speed of Software" (DRC-TOPS-42)

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Description

NASA’s Technology Transfer Program 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: Innovators at NASA's Armstrong Flight Research Center have found a way to incorporate wireless sensor technology in aerospace vehicles without adding the complexity and tonnage normally associated with physically modifying existing avionics. The solution: A single universal wireless access point or "gateway" that can communicate between existing onboard systems and any subscribed wireless device. This gateway can be easily reprogrammed to communicate with any wireless device, allowing engineers to add new sensing technology "at the speed of software." Furthermore, this gateway approach means that once a wireless sensor has been tested on a research vehicle or platform, it can be immediately integrated into other vehicles outfitted with the gateway. The gateway's architecture also holds promise for other industries seeking ways to capitalize on the advantages of wireless sensors. Although specifically designed for aerospace systems, the gateway is both platform- and implementation-agnostic, with the potential to foster convergence between wireless technologies and existing systems in other industries. A manufacturer can add industrial Internet-of-Things capability without having to integrate new wireless interfaces into its preexisting network. The gateway serves as a universal interface with virtually any wireless device for such applications as connected logistics, predictive maintenance, asset tracking, an