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Every day, in a variety of ways, American
lives are touched by space technology. Since 1976, over
1,500 documented NASA technologies have benefited U.S.
industry, improved the quality of life, and created jobs. These
spinoffs stem from technologies created to support construction
of the ISS, as well as from work performed on the ISS.
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SpiraFlex® Resistance Exercise Device - The
SpiraFlex system, presently aboard the International Space Station, is used by
the crewmembers as a primary countermeasure against musculoskeletal degradation
caused by microgravity. Using SpiraFlex technology, Schwinn Cycling &
Fitness, Inc., launched an international fitness program for health clubs and
select retail distributors, called RiPP™ (Resistance Performance Program).
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ZipNut,
a fastening device that is pushed rather than
turned, was originally developed for shuttle flight STS-29 and then selected
to be a key mechanical element for robotic
assembly of the International Space Station.
Installation time of space station trusses
was improved greatly since the bolts could
be pushed into place rather than having to
be turned like conventional nut/bolt combinations.
On Earth, the ZipNut
can be used for a variety of applications, including firefighting, aerospace,
gas fittings, and manufacturing. In 1999, 45 stainless steel 1-1/8 Heavy Hex
ZipNuts were used by the Department of Energy Savannah River Project to speed
up maintenance in a high radiation area during a nuclear outage. The ZipNuts
were successful and reduced worker radiation.
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The Personal
Cabin Pressure Altitude Monitor and Warning System is a hand-held, personal
safety device to warn pilots of potentially dangerous or deteriorating cabin
pressure altitude conditions before hypoxia becomes a threat. Invented by a NASA
Applied Research and Development Engineer to give space shuttle and International
Space Station crew members an additional, independent notification of any
depressurization events, the device benefits both pressurized and
non-pressurized aircraft operations. Applications beyond aviation and aerospace
include scuba diving, skydiving, mountain climbing, meteorology, altitude
chambers, and underwater habitats.
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The AiroCide
TiO2 is an air-purifier that kills 93.3 percent of airborne pathogens that
pass through it, including Bacillus anthraci, more commonly known as anthrax.
It is essentially a spinoff of KES Science & Technology, Inc.’s Bio-KES
system, a highly effective device used by the produce industry for ethylene gas
removal to aid in preserving the freshness of fruits, vegetables, and flowers.
The TiO2-based ethylene removal technology that is incorporated into the
company’s AiroCide TiO2 and Bio-KES products was first integrated into a pair
of International Space Station
plant-growth chambers known as ASTROCULTURE™ and ADVANCED ASTROCULTURE.™ Both
chambers have housed commercial plant growth experiments in space.
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A series of autonomous Robotic Arms
developed to recover crew or tools outside of the International Space Station have found application on Earth, in fields ranging from
human-collaborative medical surgery to emergency response to chemical,
biological, and nuclear materials. The Robotic Arms can reach around objects
and clasp them with the use of gear-free cable drives to manipulate its joints.
With a human-scale 3-foot-reach, the arms are so quick that they can grab a major-league
fastball, yet so sensitive that they respond to the gentlest touch. The
commercial manufacturer is also targeting markets such as physical therapy, rehabilitation, assisted-living
aids, metrology, short-run manufacturing, and entertainment.
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Fast Cooking: Ovens designed for NASA's
Space Station Freedom use new air
impingement technology. Jets of hot air at the top and bottom of the oven are
focused on the food, rather than heating the oven cavity as in a traditional
thermal oven. By heating the food directly, foods cook faster and more
consistently, retaining flavor and texture.
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A
technology for waste water purification
originally developed for flight aboard the Space Station
uses a direct osmosis process followed by a reverse osmosis treatment. Because
the product extracts water from a waste product, it is being used in landfills.
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360º Camera: - NASA technology used for
guiding space robots, in the space shuttle and space station
programs, as well as research in cryogenic wind tunnels and for remote docking
of spacecraft employs panoramic cameras. Images are captured in their entirety
in a 360-degree immersive digital representation, and the viewer can navigate
to any desired direction within the image. Several car manufacturers already
use this technology to provide customers a look at their latest line-up of
automobiles, and the panoramic camera is also being used to show hotel
accommodations and for non-invasive surgical procedures.
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Golf Clubs: A material designed for the
space station aided in the development of Zeemet, a proprietary, high-damping shape memory alloy for the golf industry.
The Nicklaus Golf Company created a new line of golf clubs using Zeemet
inserts. Its superelastic and high damping attributes translate into more spin
on the ball, greater control, and a solid feel.
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The
Low Vision Enhancement System (LVES) -
is a video headset that offers people with low vision a view of their
surroundings equivalent to the image on a 5-foot television screen 4 feet
from the viewer. For many people with low vision, it eases everyday activities
such as reading, watching TV, and shopping. Researchers used NASA technology
for computer processing of satellite images and head-mounted vision enhancement
systems originally intended for the space station.
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