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32891 – Due to its design geometry, an uncoated custom designed microchannel plate (MCP) can act as an extreme-ultraviolet (XUV) and soft X-ray (SXR) filter blocking infrared pump source light that would otherwise interfere with and mask the ultrashort and attosecond pulses of High Harmonic Generation (HHG) based systems. Since the first demonstration of isolated attosecond pulses from HHG, the... Read More
32124 – In optical communications, spectral efficiency can be increased by simultaneously transmitting signals in both transverse-magnetic (TM) and transverse-electric (TE) polarizations, and receiving the signal by polarization-division multiplexing (PDM). Conventional (PDM) requires knowledge of the original modulation format before the signal can be successfully demultiplexed. Blind demultiplexing... Read More
33033 – In thermal IR sensors (bolometers), absorptive coatings convert IR power into heat. Absorptive coating gold-black has been used for many decades for IR bolometers, particularly for array detectors used in night vision for defense and security. Gold-black is a nanocrystalline deposit formed when an inert gas causes gold atoms to collide and bind with each other to form a web-like structure.... Read More
32798 – Count the number of people in images of crowds of greater size and density While dense crowds occur frequently in ticketed events like concerts, marathons, religious ceremonies, and sports games, obtaining a count of participants is relatively easy. However, in events where participants are not registered, measuring the number of constantly shifting attendees often becomes crucial as in... Read More
32275 – Researchers at UCF have developed a method for creating uniform, highly spherical particles as small as a few nanometers in diameter From drug delivery to chemical and biological catalysis and cosmetics, micro and nano particles are a key to new advances. New technology forms particles by applying heat to a multi-layer fiber, drawing the core into uniform spheres within the outer... Read More
31309 – For a dynamic learning experience Electronic books have become increasingly popular, primarily in hardware applications such as the Nook and Kindle. However, text is static and detached from user engagement which limits the dynamic learning potential of instructional books. Interactivity with the instructional material is important for improved comprehension for students especially in... Read More
32772 – For drug analysts, it is difficult to identify certain types of drugs. Additionally, the frequency of new drugs introduced is at an alarming rate and this enhances the problem faced by the drug analysts. To help the drug analysts in the field, there are many reagent kits available to identify certain drugs based on the color they generate when reacted with the reagents. However, the... Read More
31887 – UCF researchers have developed a method to identify human poses from video sequences regardless of variables like camera angles and specifications, surpassing conventional methods with its practical application for any user interface based on gestures, including gesture-based computer interfaces and video surveillance. While typical methods may need exhaustive information from hundreds... Read More
31701 – Powerful, precise, high-resolution 3D imaging for advanced microscopy using diffraction limited low resolution optical signals Comprehensive enhancements made by researchers at the University of Central Florida improve imaging function and resolution beyond the diffraction limit of current systems. This new system combines existing imaging techniques – measuring birefringence,... Read More
32358 – Purify natural gas by removing toxic and corrosive hydrogen sulfide, creating usable fuel with methods that also produce valuable hydrogen fuel as a by-product; or cut conventional energy requirements for contaminant removal. Hydrogen sulfide (HS) is a common contaminant in natural gas wells, landfill gases, and other industrial operations. Approximately one-third of U.S. natural gas... Read More
32450 – Produce high quality petroleum, gasoline, jet fuel, kerosene, and/or diesel from plastic waste for clean energy production. The increasing use of plastics in packaging, food and beverage containers, flooring, and insulation is causing mounting issues for municipal waste and recycling centers. Some of the common issues with the non-biodegradable plastics are long decomposition periods and... Read More
31788 – UCF researchers have developed new cubic semiconductor alloys for UV photodetectors and light emitters for applications in covert space-to-space communications, missile threat detection, and chemical and biological threat detection. The upper ozone layer in our atmosphere absorbs nearly 100% of solar radiation for wavelengths shorter than 290 nanometers, creating the spectral region termed... Read More
32119 – Compact Integrated Filter and Microstrip Antenna Patch antennas are ideal for communication and radar systems, because of their ease of fabrication and low profile. However, when high efficiency bandpass filters are added to reject out-of-band noise and interference, they typically require coaxial connections adding bulk or detuning the filter response of the low profile antenna, thus... Read More
30531 – Conceal stains instantly while using natural elements to dissolve them over time Many surface stains remain unavoidable through exposure, use, and environmental effects. In spite of this, staining can convey that buildings, roads, parking lots and other such surfaces are rundown and dirty, giving the impression of carelessness. Conventional remedies fall short of what’s now possible: an... Read More
31724 – Compensate for linear and non-linear distortion in fiber optic communication links using wavelet filtering in virtual backward propagation. Transmitting a signal over long haul optical fiber links leads to undesirable distortions, which in order for the signal to be effectively received, these distortions must be compensated for and the original signal recovered. Signal distortion results... Read More
32954 – The nutraceuticals, fodder, and laboratory industries require different standards and specifications for the amino acids and small peptide chains used. However, current methodology cannot produce these materials at the same time to meet these different standards and specifications because they are produced by aqueous acid hydrolysis or enzymatic hydrolysis. Additionally, these processes are... Read More
32973 – The Physical-Virtual Patient Bed System simulates a human patient in a hospital bed with the ability to change appearance (race and various medical symptoms), alter size (child or adult), and mimic critical physiological signals. The system may be used for a range of civilian and military medical training. Medical simulation and training centers often make use of stand-ins or... Read More
32390 – UCF researchers have shown that optical phase conjugation can be implemented in the optoelectronic domain using coherent detection and electro-optic conjugation of the optical pump. It is possible, using nonlinear optical processes, to exactly reverse the propagation direction and phase variation of a beam of light. Optical phase conjugation (OPC) can be used for many applications ranging... Read More
32018 – New pump cavity design adds stability and efficiency UCF researchers have developed a method of rapidly changing a pump source in a laser system that provides flexibility and saves valuable time. When modifying the laser array, this new design allows for rapidly adapting the laser to changes in temperature in any environment. The design increases stability and reliability during mechanism... Read More
32192 – Using fly ash as recyclable sorbent for oil spill clean-up Alarmed by the devastating impact of oil spills to the environment, University of Central Florida researchers have found an effective method employing a mixture of fly ash particles to scavenge oil from oil-water mixture solution. Oil spills caused by tankers and barges have the potential to dump hundreds of millions of gallons of... Read More
31252 – UCF researchers have discovered a method for producing hydrogen based on water splitting cycles and use of solar energy Solar energy is used to drive reactions catalyzed with metal sulfates for generating hydrogen by splitting water. Technologies that exist today for the photocatalytic splitting of water only use the photonic energy of the solar spectrum, but not the thermal energy... Read More
30529 – More lanes on the information highway UCF researchers have developed a transmission system for optical communications, featuring a modulation format designed to intensify data transfer with high spectral efficiency, while reducing the need for additional equipment. The proliferation of bandwidth-intense services and cloud computing drives the demand for higher data transfer rates. In turn,... Read More
30021 – UCF researchers have developed a practical new system for on-demand generation of hydrogen gas as a fuel through the cracking of a cheap safe-to-handle raw material (e.g. ammonia) using microwave plasma discharge. Hydrogen gas represents an exciting alternative fuel for energy needs as it requires only minor modification to be used in existing engine, and power plant designs. On-site... Read More
32614 – Better Homogeneity, Control, and Propagation Thermite reactions can now release more energy quicker for greater propulsion and more powerful explosions with a process for preparing composite thermite particles developed at UCF. The thermite composition can be used in propellant and explosive devices permitting significantly better control of the ignition and propagation phases of the... Read More
31793 – Fast, affordable method of layering images UCF researchers have devised an improved system, method, and computerreadable media for real-time chroma key matting by using image statistics. Chroma keying is a special effects or post-production technique for layering two images or video streams together based on color hues. This new technology operates in real-time, functions in visually noisy... Read More
31034 – UCF researchers have developed a low-cost and efficient ethanol-based fuel for hybrid rocket engines. Ethanol is a vital renewable fuel for the future, and when derived from sugar cane, can return 8:1 in energy invested in its recovery. Ethanol has a history of success as rocket fuel, though hybrid rockets require a fuel with sufficient yield strength, holding its shape during the... Read More
32371 – UCF researchers have developed absorption spectroscopy technology to measure samples at the micron and single cell level. Conventional optical probe technology required samples larger than micron size, limiting usability in fields with finite samples, including forensic analysis. This new technology is non-destructive to the sample, for continued testing and maximized data results.... Read More
33304 – OneSearch Lite LTI is an application program interface (API) for enabling remote query searching from within the Canvas LMS (learning management system), accessing a subset of database(s), such as, for example, EBSCO Discovery Service, and enabling download and embedding of full text articles from selected licensed or public domain sources.
33469 – Faster, More Secure Communication Between Virtual Machines UCF researchers have fundamentally changed Network Interface Cards (NIC) for Ethernet Virtual Machines (VM), allowing them to perform on-board switching between shared resources, systems, and services. Virtual machine on-board switching, nSwitching, eliminates external software in Ethernet switching for faster and more secure... Read More
31098 – Nanocomposite Seminconducting Material with Reduced Resistivity UCF researchers have developed a process for fabricating a nanocomposite semiconducting material with improved electrical properties. In microbolometers, this material and fabricating method increases response to temperature while reducing the material’s resistivity. Formed by simultaneously depositing an amorphous oxide and a... Read More
32099 – This invention from UCF researchers provides a wider layer for the current flow in HEMTs and MESFETs, making ESD protection substantially more robust. By offering higher current conduction, this semiconductor device provides powerful ESD protection for integrated circuits. Moreover, due to the decrease in the size of HEMT or MESFETs, it reduces the cost for the fabrication of the device. The... Read More
31879 – Sensitive, real-time monitoring at high temperatures Turbine engines play a prominent role in power generation and aircraft propulsion. The U.S. Department of Energy predicts that by 2020, gas turbines will account for 40% of the U.S. power generation industry. Current turbine designs have been limited by the lack of sensors capable of providing reliable, detailed physical and chemical... Read More
32872 – Hydrogenation is a versatile chemical process most commonly used in the food industry to convert vegetable oils into solid or semi-solid fats found in products such as margarine. These food products have had health concerns due to the use of nickel catalysts in processing. Heterogeneous FLP catalysts have shown promising usefulness in the catalytic heterogeneous hydrogenation process because... Read More
33162 – UCF researchers have invented a passive wireless sensor system that includes a piezoelectric microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) resonator that can be configured to sense one or more physical parameters such as temperature, pressure, viscosity, and mass. This system is complementary metal oxide semiconductor based, which utilizes silicon substrates and fab line processing techniques, and is... Read More
32334 – A powerful new way to deliver interactive games, tools, and study aids, Materia™ is an open learning platform designed to make online learning rich, diverse, and engaging. Developed at The University of Central Florida, Materia™ is now available for any institution to use. Materia™ comes with a growing library of customizable widgets already installed and integrates into existing... Read More
32343 – Easy and intuitive to use, Obojobo™ is UCF’s new online tool that provides a multifaceted interface capable of building, containing, and utilizing instructional components for the virtual classroom. Basic in structure and rich in media capabilities, these components include innovative help features and assistive guidelines to better support designers and authors throughout the development... Read More
31214 – Methods for incorporating Gas Chromatography coupled with Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) summed ion spectra into a software tool for identifying the cause of a fire by comparing fire debris data to a universal database for quick matching with commercially available ignitable liquids. Gas Chromatography coupled with Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) is an extremely useful tool in forensics analysis. In... Read More