Saving Space and Time: The Tractor That Einstein Built
Remote-controlled tractors with a margin of error of one centimeter are the result of work done by Jet Propulsion Laboratory scientists who designed ultra-precise GPS for use on a satellite probe sent to test two unverified predictions of Einstein’s theory of relativity.
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Preventing Ice Before it Forms
An environmentally-friendly formula for preventing ice on airplanes is now available as a non-toxic spray for automobile windshields and can provide anti-icing rotection down to 20 °F.
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Forty-Year-Old Foam Springs Back With New Benefits
The most recognized and widely used NASA spinoff is at it again. Temper foam celebrated its 40th birthday in 2006, and the original product maker is still going strong, pushing the cushion into new arenas, including automotives, amusement parks, prosthetics, and modern art.
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A Robot to Help Make the Rounds
In 1995, NASA supported the conception of a two-armed, mobile, sensate research-robot that could demonstrate the skills required to carry out robotic tasks in space. Today, a derivation of this robot is flexing its skills in the skilled health care environment.
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Keeping the Air Clean and Safe—An Anthrax Smoke Detector
No one is quite sure what Earthly germs would do on Mars, but scientists agree that it is safest to keep the Martian terrain as undisturbed as possible.  A team at JPL developed a bacterial spore-detection system for Mars-bound spacecraft that can also recognize anthrax and other harmful, spore-forming bacteria on Earth and alert people of the impending danger.
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Bringing Thunder and Lightning Indoors
Scientists at Langley developed a piezoelectric device that is now available to the public as the Lightning Switch, a wireless, batteryless, remote-controlled light switch—a way to install or replace light switches without any new wiring and without batteries. It installs in minutes and can save hundreds of dollars per switch in rewiring costs, but its usefulness does not stop there…
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Amorphous Alloy Surpasses Steel and Titanium
In the same way that the inventions of steel in the 1800s and plastic in the 1900s sparked revolutions for industry, a new class of amorphous alloys is poised to redefine materials science as we know it in the 21st century.
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