Engineering & Physical Sciences

1-50 of 120 technologies within Engineering & Physical Sciences RSS ATOM

Ultra-Stable Deep-Dyed Perovskite-Polymer Composites as Tunable Downconverters

34381 – The University of Central Florida invention comprises a low cost, simple deep‐dyeing method that can convert a polyethylene terephthalate (PET) polymer matrix into ultra‐stable luminescent perovskite‐polymer composites (PPCs) which have excellent color tunability, color purity, and water‐/photo‐stability. The achieved PPCs can be used in displays, solid‐state lighting or other... Read More

Aqua Factorem: Low Energy Lunar Ice Extraction System

11539 – The University of Central Florida invention describes a method to extract lunar water, drastically reducing the energy and complexity of lunar mining operations helping to establish this industry. The process consists of robot mining of the regolith (loose, heterogeneous superficial deposits covering solid rock), transferring the mined material to a conveyer and passing the soil... Read More

Transmitter Identification Using Adversarial Networks and IQ Data

34396 – The invention relates to an adversarial learning technique for identifying rogue RF transmitters and classifying trusted ones by designing and implementing generative adversarial nets (GAN). Understanding and analyzing the radio frequency (RF) environment have become indispensable for various autonomous wireless deployments. Machine learning techniques have become popular as they can... Read More

Optical images of the Hypo-Rig after printing and assembly: (A) shows the assembled rig and release stamp. (B) demonstrates the assembly working together for release. (C) demonstrates the assembly in practice, for alignment with a custom culture well no larger than 16mm in diameter. The device is scalable for larger devices, and the density of dispensing needles can also increase.

Makerspace Fabrication Technology for Faster, Precise Production of 3D Metal Microelectrode Arrays (MEAs)

34429 – Researchers at the University of Central Florida have developed a simple, inexpensive solution for fabricating 3D metal microelectrode arrays (MEAs) and microneedle platforms. Compared to current technologies, the UCF makerspace technology overcomes issues such as brittleness, high expense, complexity, and unrepeatable processes. As a result, the invention offers cost-... Read More

Dynamically Tunable, Single Pixel Full-Color Plasmonic Display

33838 – The University of Central Florida invention demonstrates a liquid crystal-plasmonic system that covers the full red-green-blue (RGB) color basis set, only as a function of voltage, for the first time. Nematic liquid crystals are long rod‐shaped molecules that have extraordinary properties, most importantly: long-range order and alignment with an electric field. This allows liquid... Read More

3D Microelectrode Array for Optical and Electrical Probing of Electrogenic Cells

34513 – The University of Central Florida invention describes the microfabrication and assembly of a three-dimensional microelectrode array (3D MEA) based on a glass-stainless steel platform. The technique involves the use of non-traditional “Makerspace Microfabrication” techniques, which allows cost effective fabrication of the device using biocompatible materials.

Storing Energy in the Carbon Fiber-Based Electric Vehicle Body Panel

34545 – The University of Central Florida invention is a hierarchical architecture‐based carbon fiber for storing energy. The CASE electrode invention has an unprecedented 100,000 charge‐discharge cycles with less performance degradation. Currently, the electric vehicle industry is targeting to achieve more than 500 miles/charge. To increase the miles/charge of the electric vehicles, more... Read More

Illustration of the cooperative motion capture (COMOCAP) concept: (a) Depicts body-relative signaling in a multi-person setup. Each person wears components that can send/receive intra-user signals (red dashed) between a reference body point, the head or torso, and the moving limbs. A centralized global system (green dashed) tracks each person's body to the environment. (b) Depicts the cooperative motion capture approach where transceivers (transmitter-receiver units) worn on each person's body send/receive signals (red dashed) to/from the transceivers of other people in a peer-to-peer fashion. As people get closer to each other, the inter-user signals increase in strength and robustness, compared to conventional non-inertial approaches.

Relative Pose Data Augmentation and Other Tracked Devices in Virtual Environments

34272 – Researchers at the University of Central Florida have invented a better way to track objects like head-mounted displays (HMDs) and handheld controllers of multiple users as they interact in shared space. Virtual environment systems today encounter some amount of error (static or dynamic) that can affect the system's usefulness. If two or more users are tracked close to each other... Read More

Example depiction of a bridge inspection using an AI-powered mixed reality system.

Collective Intelligence Framework Can Fast Track Inspection and Accuracy

34286 – Researchers at the University of Central Florida have developed a method for reducing the time and cost of inspecting civil structures like bridges and buildings. Conventional methods for visually assessing civil infrastructures use subjectivity and may require long inspection time and high labor costs. Although some technologies (such as robotic techniques, augmented reality, and... Read More

Crash Recovery Improvements in Non-Volatile Main Memory (NVMM)

34234 – Researchers at the University of Central Florida and North Carolina State University have developed a way to reduce the execution time and write amplification associated with restoring data from non-volatile main memory (NVMM). Current crash recovery solutions use logging or checkpointing to provide failure safety to applications. However, these solutions are for volatile main... Read More

Figure 1. Diagram of the UCF dynamically tunable cavity-coupled plasmonic system. As shown, it includes a complementary gold hole/disk array, a tri-layered cavity spacer and a reflective back mirror.

Actively Tunable Photonic Device Enables Multispectral Infrared Camouflage

34066 – Researchers at the University of Central Florida have designed an innovative adaptive infrared (IR) camouflage system that can operate at any wavelength in the technologically relevant, midwave IR (3–5 µm) and longwave IR (8–12 µm) bands. The plasmonic nanostructured system design offers a faster, more efficient way to encode information and provides spectral selectivity, which is... Read More

Conformal Visible Light Communication (VLC) Receiver with Efficient Optical Signal Reception

34238 – Researchers at the University of Central Florida have developed a mobile visible light communication (VLC) receiver that overcomes the signal quality and efficiency issues that hamper the widespread use of VLC systems. With the ability to provide secure, high-throughput indoor wireless networking, VLCs are ideal for multi-use office environments and Li-Fi (light fidelity)... Read More

Phototransistor Mimics the Synaptic Behavior of Neurons

34446 – Researchers at the University of Central Florida have developed a phototransistor device that can act as an artificial photonic synapse for neuromorphic computing. Ultrathin and highly efficient, the device comprises a superstructure with the fast charge transport capability of graphene (G) and the efficient photogeneration features of perovskite quantum dots (PQDs). The UCF team... Read More

Low‐Cost Biopolymer-Metal Sensor for Onsite Detection of Heavy Metal Ions

34204 – Researchers at the University of Central Florida have developed an inexpensive, reliable sensor that can rapidly and simultaneously detect traces of multiple heavy metals in water. With its unique biopolymer-metal composite thin film, the device provides improved sensitivity for identifying toxins in situ, including mercury, cadmium, arsenic, chromium, thallium, lead and zinc. ... Read More

Energy-Efficient, Real-Time Variable Stiffness Ankle-Foot Prosthesis

34461 – Researchers at the University of Central Florida have developed an innovative, bio-inspired ankle-foot prosthesis that can automatically adjust its ankle stiffness to accommodate different activities. For example, the device can quickly adapt to walking conditions such as inclines, declines, and uneven soft or hard surfaces. The novel prosthesis uses a highly efficient energy... Read More

Low-Cost, Multi-Input, Single Resonant Tank LLC Converters

34179 – Researchers at the University of Central Florida have developed a new multi-input power DC-DC converter that uses a single LLC resonant tank to transfer energy and perform power conversion from multiple sources. With other technologies, the number of switches and circuit components increases with each added power source, thus raising total costs and reducing reliability. In... Read More

Method for Growing Perovskite Quantum Dots on Any Material

34410 – Researchers at the University of Central Florida have invented a unique method of creating structures for ultra-thin, highly efficient optoelectronic devices.  Current methods (such as depositing PQDs onto a graphene substrate or applying them via spin-coating or dipping) produce structures that offer limited carrier mobility and photoresponsivity. In contrast, the UCF method... Read More

Solar Energy Device Boosts Optical Absorption of Thin-Film PV Cells

34405 – Researchers at the University of Central Florida have developed a way to increase the broadband optical absorption of thin-film solar cells regardless of their thickness or intrinsic absorption. Thin-film technologies (less than 10 μm) reduce the material cost of solar cells and provide added flexibility. However, their reduced light absorption capacity results in lower cell... Read More

Low-Temperature Catalysts for Effective Reduction of Nitrogen Oxide (NOx) Emissions

34359 – Researchers at the University of Central Florida and BASF Corporation have developed a selective catalytic reduction (SCR) technology that can efficiently remove nitrogen oxide (NO) emissions at temperatures less than 200 degrees Celsius. Nitrogen oxides are major pollutants emitted from internal combustion engines. Examples include gasoline and diesel vehicles and stationary... Read More

Scalable Approach for Fabricating Thermally Stable, Low-Temperature Catalysts

34292 – Researchers at the University of Central Florida have developed a low-cost, scalable approach for using any reducible metal oxide or mixed metal oxide materials to fabricate thermally stable, low-temperature catalysts. The UCF invention offers a solution for automakers tasked with meeting increasingly stringent emissions standards. For example, future catalytic systems will need... Read More

As shown in the example, at least a portion of the precious metal (PGM–platinum group metal) encapsulated between the base material and the irreducible metal oxides may be shuttled to the surface of the metal oxide to form stable, catalytically active sites that can resist sintering at high temperatures.

Low-Cost Method for Producing Highly Stable, Active Precious Metal Catalysts

34303 – Researchers at the University of Central Florida have developed a novel universal technique for fabricating precious metal catalysts that exhibit both high catalytic activity and excellent thermal stability. UCF’s Reverse Loading and Metal Shuttling Strategy offers a low-cost solution to traditional fabrication methods, such as those that require complex preparation procedures or... Read More

Low-Cost Mechanisms for Managing Secure Persistent Memory

34140 – Novel systems for encrypting, restoring and auditing secure persistent memory can significantly improve performance and safeguard systems against data remanence cyber attacks. Researchers at the University of Central Florida have developed low-cost solutions for effectively managing secure persistent memory devices (PMDs) in computer systems. One invention (Patent ID34140) provides... Read More

Example of the new prosthetic timing module (in the blue box) attached to a passive prosthesis.

Novel Ankle Prosthetic Module Maximizes the Propulsion Efficiency of Passive Prostheses

34171 – Real-time module enables passive ankle prosthesis to control and release stored energy for optimal propulsion. Researchers at the University of Central Florida have developed a device with a unique learning algorithm to maximize the propulsion efficiency of passive prostheses used by individuals with transtibial (below-knee) amputations. The UCF real-time adjustable energy-releasing device... Read More

Figure 1. A schematic of bulk-mode lithium niobate-on-silicon (LNoSi) nonreciprocal transversal filters that exploit the acoustoelectric (AE) effect for signal amplification/attenuation.

Innovative Process Enables Acoustoelectric (AE) Amplification in Resonant Piezoelectric-Semiconductor Cavities

34143 – New amplification scheme enables manufacturers to build low-power, low-loss devices for communications, wireless sensors. Researchers at the University of Central Florida have developed a novel, low-cost acoustoelectric (AE) amplification scheme that resolves the issues found in transistor-based amplifiers and existing AE amplification systems. All transistor-based amplifiers suffer from a... Read More

Figure 1. Schematic of the UCF resonant-based passive wireless accelerometer design.

MEMS Piezoelectric Resonant Accelerometer for Low-Cost, Wireless Detection

34077 – New passive accelerometer design enables the development of wireless, lightweight movement sensors for industrial and consumer uses, including smart, Internet of Things products in healthcare, lifestyle and defense applications. Researchers at the University of Central Florida have designed a wireless sensor that can accurately detect and transmit an object’s acceleration or vibration... Read More

Figure 1. An example of a packaged device made using the invention (left) and its 4D characteristics (right).

4D Biosensors for Lab-On-A-Chip and Wearable Sensor Applications

34078 – Innovative 4D biosensor technology with shape-memory recovery enables integration with implantable systems for electrical measurements. Researchers at the University of Central Florida have developed a novel 4D biosensor for lab-on-a-chip and wearable sensor applications that is more cost-effective and easier to manufacture than current technologies. Made of dynamic, stretchable, packaged... Read More

The block diagram illustrates an example use of the optical calibration source invention and related components.

A Compact, Bright, and Broadband Light Source for Calibrating the Spectral and Spectral Power Density of an Optical System

34055 – Novel method provides plug-and-play capabilities for easily calibrating laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) optical systems. Researchers at the University of Central Florida have developed a novel plug-and-play technology for calibrating optical systems such as laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) or Raman spectroscopy systems. A compact, bright and broadband (180 nm... Read More

Example diagrams of the UCF tactile display apparatus design: (a) shows an external view and (b) shows an internal view of the device.

Tactile Display Apparatus for Palpation Simulation and Telemedicine

34063 – Innovative training device enables medical students to experience the near-real sensation of touch, similar to human palpation. Researchers at the University of Central Florida have designed a haptic training device that medical students can use to better distinguish between normal and abnormal lumps in the body. By providing the sensation of touch and the ability to vary the size and... Read More

The UCF liquid metal coating promotes the uniform deposition of lithium ions in a battery cell and prevents dendritic growth. It thus provides a stable solid electrolyte interface for separating the lithium metal anode from the electrolyte.

Low-Cost Lithium Battery Cell With Coating that Prevents Dendrite Growth

34036 – Battery cell’s novel coating stabilizes lithium metal surfaces, enabling the development of next-generation energy storage technologies such as lithium-air and lithium-sulfur batteries. Researchers at the University of Central Florida have developed an inexpensive battery cell that overcomes the safety hazards, performance problems and capacity loss associated with using lithium metal as... Read More

Modular Device for 3D Printers Quantifies and Treats Filament in Real Time

34202 – System for additive manufacturing enables accurate, cost-effective tracking of the used and unused filament in new or existing 3D printers. Researchers at the University of Central Florida have developed a novel 3D printer filament feed system that can track, quantify, and coat/treat filaments used in additive manufacturing printers. Such capabilities are lacking in many 3D printer designs... Read More

As shown in figures (a) and (b), the new UCF blood-sampling syringe fully incorporates a nucleic acid purification function. The graph (c) shows the effectiveness of the tool’s DNA capture. Researchers used a real-time PCR to quantify and compare the captured DNA to the original blood sample.

Novel Syringe for One-Step Purification and Medical Diagnosis

34133 – Integrated syringe combines blood sample collection and nucleic acid preparation functions to speed diagnostic testing for infectious diseases. Researchers at the University of Central Florida have designed an innovative syringe that can simultaneously draw a patient’s blood and extract/purify nucleic acids from the sample. Thus, a simple blood draw results in a prepared sample ready for... Read More

Figure 1. The graphic (a) schematically illustrates an experimental incoherent light-illuminated DCNN-GALOF imaging system without distal optics. The light source is a low-cost LED. To quantify the amount of fiber bending (b) the offset distance was measured as the distance from the end of the bent fiber to the position of the straight fiber (equal to the length of the dashed line).

Glass-Air Optical Fiber Imaging for Accurate, Real-Time Views of Biological Objects

34029 – New approach can transmit artifact-free images of cell structures in vivo despite temperature fluctuations and optical fiber bending. Researchers at the University of Central Florida have developed a lensless fiber-optic imaging system that overcomes the expense and complications associated with existing multicore and multimode fiber-based imaging systems (MCFs, MMFs). More robust, compact... Read More

In the example operation, Anubis acts whenever metadata changes occur in the Counter Cache (3) or the Merkle Tree Cache (4). The operation reduces the need for extra updates to the shadow counter and shadow Merkle tree tables (SCT and SMT). It also lowers the overhead significantly without hurting recoverability.

Secure Non-Volatile Memory System Offers Ultra-Low Recovery Time, Overhead

34136 – Low-cost, hardware-only memory controller system enables quick recovery and verification of Merkle tree- and Intel® SGX-protected non-volatile memories (NVMs). Researchers at the University of Central Florida have designed a hardware-only system that can recover integrity-protected non-volatile memories (NVMs) faster and more cost-efficiently than other memory... Read More

Figure 1. The UCF Holmium laser system concept.

Multi-millijoule Holmium Laser System

33995 – New system can generate attosecond laser pulses for use in biomolecule manipulation. Researchers at the University of Central Florida have invented an ultrafast Holmium laser system that can generate multi-millijoule-level laser pulse energy centered at 2.05 μm and a 1 kHz repetition rate. With such capabilities, the laser can produce long, ultra-broad bandwidth (4-12 μm wavelength),... Read More

Catalyzed biomass mechanochemical conversion process with example reaction products and potential commercial applications.

Solid Acid Catalyzed Hydrolysis Technology Offers A Non-Toxic Path to Producing Biofuels and Specialty Chemicals From Biomass Feedstock

31649 – New mechanocatalytic process breaks down biomass, including lignin, into sugars or other specialty chemicals via a non-toxic path. Researchers at the University of Central Florida have developed technologies that provide a more efficient and inexpensive method to produce biofuels and specialty chemicals like vanillin or syrinealdehyde. The hydrolysis technology enables companies, such as... Read More

Diagram of a MINI system for wireless neural recordings. The 1000-ch system on a silicon die consists of a pillar electrode array, embedded integrated circuits for signal amplification and processing, and backplane planar coils and capacitors for wireless telemetry and power.

Neural Interface System

34017 – New approach to building scalable brain-machine interface systems may enable widespread use of wireless, remotely-powered neural interface implants in patients needing prostheses. Researchers at the University of Central Florida have designed an innovative brain-machine interface (BMI) system that can enable throughput of 1,000 or more parallel recordings to repair human cognitive or... Read More

Figure (a) shows a schematic representation of chiral light-matter interaction between left-circularly polarized (LCP) and (s) enantiomer; (b) shows a top view of one uncoated sample and cross-section view of one polymer-coated substrate embedding the chiral molecule; (c) shows a representation for the optical characterization.

Molecular Chirality Detection Technique using Hybrid Plasmonic Substrates

33902 – System offers low-cost methods for efficiently and accurately detecting low levels of left- and right-handed enantiomers of drugs seeking FDA approval University of Central Florida researchers have designed a system that can accurately identify the chirality of drugs, proteins, DNA and other molecules at lower detection limits than conventional detection systems. With the ability to... Read More

Graph of the June average day profile of an FSEC simulation using the SVC invention.

Weather-Responsive Smart Ventilation System Using Multiple Parameters

33948 – New whole-house mechanical ventilation controls enhance HVAC systems to provide homeowners with added energy savings and indoor air comfort UCF researchers have developed a smart ventilation system that can be used with new or existing residential heating and cooling systems to improve indoor air quality, reduce costs and save energy. Most ventilation control systems are simplistic, using... Read More

Chemical Sensor with Real-Time, Remote Detection Capabilities and 3D Output

33957 – New detection system can scan gas mixtures from a distance and provide quantifiable data about specific chemicals in the mixture. Researchers from UCF and the United States Navy have invented an optical detection system designed to identify and quantify the chemicals in a gas mixture from a distance and in real time. The new system can provide a 3D mapping/readout of the mixture’s... Read More

New UCF optical nanocomposite material can be drawn into fiber form, dissolved into a solution and deposited as a thin film, or used as a bulk optical component.

Unique Nanocomposites for Fiber- and Planar-Infrared Laser Applications

33951 – Glass-nanocrystal material can be made into optical fibers, thin films and bulk optical elements. UCF researchers have invented a low loss optical nanocomposite material made of glass and high concentrations of nanocrystals (NCs). Unlike conventional crystal laser media, the new glass ceramic medium can be drawn into fiber, coated onto films, deposited as waveguides or formed as bulk... Read More

Figure 1. Example of a flexible solar cell fabricated using the new UCF light trapping invention.

Omnidirectional, Polarization-Independent, All-Dielectric Light Trapping Scheme

33979 – Novel biomimetic design approach enables manufacturers to cost-effectively produce ultrathin, flexible, durable solar cells that capture the most energy from daylight as it strikes from multiple directions. UCF researchers have developed a novel architecture and process for producing low-cost, ultrathin, flexible and durable solar cells that can be easily fabricated using roll-to-roll... Read More

Diagram showing the invention’s ultrafast detection scheme based on the plasmon-thermoelectric effect.

Tunable Graphene-Based Method for Detecting Mid-Infrared (IR) Radiation

33901 – New method offers low-cost, uncooled multi-spectral IR detection and imaging in the 8-12 µm bands UCF researchers have invented a low-cost method that can enable ultrafast, tunable mid-IR detection and imaging without the need for expensive and complex cryogenic cooling. The novel graphene-based method paves the way for multi-spectral imaging in the mid-IR domain, which is not available in... Read More

Hot Water Tank Insulation System Can Reduce Heat Loss by 20-30 Percent

33887 – Inexpensive, easy-to-install FlexCap insulation system enables consumers to save energy and lower hot water heating costs UCF researchers have invented an insulation system that can reduce a hot water tank’s heat loss by as much as 30 percent. Based on testing performed by the Florida Solar Energy Center (FSEC), a hot water tank can lose a significant amount of heat through its top... Read More

Example setup of the UCF ultrafast laser system to produce high-energy laser pulses centered around the short to mid-infrared wavelength region (2.4 μm).

New Methods for Generating High-Energy, Broadband Mid-Infrared Laser Pulses

33905 – Invention Simplifies Laser Architecture to Generate Millijoule-Level Output at 2.4 Micrometers (μm) UCF researchers have invented a technique for creating broadband, high-energy laser pulses centered around the short- to mid-infrared region (2.4 μm). The technique, which can be applied to existing laser systems, simplifies laser architectures by requiring fewer gain passes to achieve... Read More

Fabrication and Characterization of 3D Printed, 3D Microelectrode Arrays (MEAs) with Spin-Coated Insulation and Functional Electrospun 3D Scaffolds

33871 – New MEA fabrication technology enables the development of rapid assays with 3D cell-based biosensors for toxicity testing, disease modeling and optical/electrical stimulation of cell types. Exploded view of the 3D MEA: 3D microtowers, metallization, laminate insulation and containment culture well with a close-up of 10 recording sites per patch. Fully functional for “disease in a... Read More

Figure 1. Schematic view of the imaging operational concept.

Cost-Effective Imaging System Uses RF Magnetic Field and Loop Bolometer Array to Produce MRI-Quality Images

33853 – New system can generate detailed images of internal body structures and identify defects embedded in electronic circuits UCF researchers have designed a new imaging system that captures detailed, 3D views of an object’s internal structures and is more affordable, compact and transportable than other systems. The invention is safe to use for both medical and scientific applications, since... Read More

Figure 1. Illustration of the new vehicle detection system with RFB technology alerting a wrong-way driver. Courtesy of the Central Florida Expressway Authority.

Wrong-Way Driver Detection Technologies can Help Prevent Head-On Collisions

33441 – New systems leverage vehicle and roadside technologies to thwart head-on collisions caused by wrong-way drivers Researchers at UCF and the Central Florida Expressway Authority (CFX) have patented methods for systems that help prevent head-on collisions when drivers wrongfully enter roadways. The technologies (UCF IDs: 33441, 33714 and 33716) can be used to alert and stop wrong-way drivers... Read More

CMAS infiltration and reaction in a 7YSZ thermal barrier coating

Non-Destructive Optical Test to Detect Damage in Turbine Blades

33851 – A novel non-destructive characterization test to inspect for particulate infiltration and damage to turbine thermal or environmental barrier coatings Researchers at UCF and the German Aerospace Center (DLR) have invented a new, non-destructive optical test to identify whether thermal or environmental barrier coatings on components have been infiltrated with particulates, such as dust, sand... Read More

Diagnostic Kit Detects Pathogenic Microorganisms Based on Electric Signatures

33854 – Novel kit uses electrophysiology to help clinicians identify and effectively treat bacterial diseases in plants, animals and humans UCF researchers have developed a novel diagnostic kit for quickly identifying microorganisms and detecting live versus dead cells, based on their electrical activity. The invention can also be used to determine whether a cell is actively growing,... Read More

Schematic diagram of a graphene plasmonic-cavity structure, according to the invention

Monolayer Graphene Optical Detector Offers Exceptional Light Absorption

33758 – New low-cost graphene-based, light absorber increases the efficiency and performance of mid-IR photodetectors, photovoltaic devices and modulators UCF researchers have invented a graphene-based optical detector device with an unprecedented light absorption value of 60 percent in the mid infrared spectral domain. Historically, graphene’s low optical absorbance (less than 2.5 percent) has... Read More

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