Directory of Currently Funded Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Grants

Description:  The ultimate goal of this project is to eliminate 90% of the deaths and injuries caused by trucks and buses that collide with cars and pedestrians. Trucks & buses average one collision per year in the U.S. Over 400,000 of these result in injuries and 4,000 in deaths. Ninety percent of the Liability insurance cost for trucks and buses is from the people killed or injured in collisions, roughly $12 billion per year. The Liwon bumper bag is designed to eliminate 90% of collision deaths & injuries. The Liwon bumper airbag should pay for itself many times over every time it is used. The bumper airbag can be inflated before trucks hit a smaller vehicle. The driver hits a switch to inflate the airbag or a collision radar system inflates it. In most accidents, the driver has hit the brakes anyways and an extra push could trigger the airbag. The bumper bag is an extra tool when brakes are not enough. The specific objective of this Phase one research and development effort is to design an optimum bumper airbag system.  We will use a sophisticated, computerized, mathematical Finite Element Model of the complete bumper airbag system to accurately simulate 1) collisions with cars and pedestrians, 2) airbag inflation and inflator concepts, and 3) crosswinds and headwinds during and after airbag inflation. We will vary key design input variables by about 20% to see their effect on performance variables. Input variables will include airbag length, front face slant angle, inflator pressure flow rate profile, and others. Performance variables will include inflation time, bumper-to-bumper contact speed, aerodynamic lift force and cost.  We will use these simulations to make simple equations of the bumper airbag system behavior by using the key design and performance variables. We will use these simple equations in an optimization program to develop the best design for the bumper airbag system.  In Phase II, we will use this design to build a working prototype.

Description:  Current fire suppression systems use water, chemical agents, gaseous agents such as Halon, carbon dioxide, and heptafluoropropane, or a combination thereof. Virtually all of them are ozone depleting, toxic, and environmentally unfriendly. This project proposes a radically different approach by using high gas flux membranes to supply oxygen-deficient or hypoxic breathable air to prevent and suppress fire. The high gas flow membranes are compact and provide great portability for firefighters in addition to their low cost. The targeted hypoxic environment of 14%-16% oxygen eliminates ignition and combustion of flammable materials while still being completely safe for breathing. The high gas flow membranes convert air (21% oxygen) to hypoxic air (12%-14% oxygen).  Flooding the building with 12%-14% oxygen eliminates the concern for pockets of unbreathable air supply. Phase I will demonstrate the ability to rapidly and cost effectively supply this 12%-14% oxygen and it's ability to rapidly reduce the room air to 14%-16% oxygen. Tests will include first starting controlled fires and then demonstrating the systems ability to suppress the fire while maintaining oxygen levels at 14%-16%. During the process, we will monitor for Carbon Monoxide and other toxic gas formation. Parallel animal studies will validate the breath ability of the environment. We have strong relationships with major industrial membrane companies. These relationships enhance our ability to successfully commercialize these systems if this SBIR is shown to be successful.

Description: Younger 16-year old novice male drivers with, at most, six months of driving experience are nine times more likely to be involved in a fatal crash (per 100 million miles of vehicle travel) than the safest group of drivers - those between the ages of 45 and 60. Younger novice female drivers (again, 16 year olds) are almost four times more likely to be involved in a fatal crash than drivers in the safest cohorts. The enactment of tougher drinking and driving laws, Graduated Driver Licensing programs, and better record-keeping by motor vehicle agencies have helped lower death and injury rates as shown by decreases in novice driver risk-taking behaviors. But decreases in the other key aspect of the young novice driver crash problem- the lack of cognitive and perceptual skills and abilities that are important for safe driving- have not kept pace with other developments, and this continues to block overall improvements in safety. Experts have estimated that anywhere between 75% and 80% of the crashes among novice drivers are due to the lack of such cognitive skills and abilities.

This project will refine and test the Drive Square simulator's software and hardware; extend the PC-based novice driver training program to the high-fidelity simulator at the University of Massachusetts so that training actually occurs on the simulator (not just the PC), thereby potentially magnifying the effectiveness of the training still further evaluate the effectiveness of the simulator training program on the high-fidelity simulator.  The project will also demonstrate that the Drive Square simulator can be used for training benefits equivalent to what is achieved on the high-fidelity simulator. 

Description:  The purpose of the Heal Victims of Violence Helping Providers Care for Women Patients who are Victims of Violence project is to develop a CD-ROM-based resource for healthcare providers to address the comprehensive realm of safety issues and healthcare needs resulting from violence against women. Healthcare providers can make a significant difference in the lives and health of women who are victims of violence by screening routinely for violence, documenting violence in patient records, collecting and safeguarding evidence, and providing medical care, advice, safety planning, and referrals. With input from female patients and healthcare provider, the CD-ROM is expected to appropriately assist women victims of violence by serving as an "encyclopedia of information”. The CD-ROM will consist of several modules that when navigated and completed, will provide healthcare providers with skills, resources, and comprehensive tools for the care of their female patients who have been victimized by violence. Inclusion of advanced searching capabilities will further ensure product usefulness, as providers can refer to only the most pertinent sections for their work. Hyperlinks to additional information about the CD-ROM, and links to the internet will allow users to locate the most needed and up-to-date resources possible.

Description: Fourth grade children, ages 10 to 14 years are at increased risk of sustaining bicycle injuries. An average of 143 children, ages 10 to 14 years died annually from bicycle- related injuries between 1992 and 1995. Other "wheeling" activities, such as skateboarding, in-line skating, and riding scooters and skateboarding have also been shown to cause injury and even death. The primary goal of the program, Safe ‘N Fun: An Injury Prevention Kit is to increase safe wheel recreational behavior among fourth graders  To reach this goal, the primary objectives of Safe N’ Fun are to teach fourth graders 1) how injuries are caused and prevented; 2) how to differentiate between safe and unsafe behavior; 3.) how to make safe and informed decisions; and 4.) how to make a difference in other safety issue areas. The Safe ‘N Fun product fills a gap in elementary school wheel safety education by providing a relatively low cost, rigorously field-tested, comprehensive and simulated program.  Safe ‘N Fun increases the knowledge and skills of fourth-graders(wheeling recreational) activities while decreasing potential health risks and time and money spent in hospital emergency rooms.  GLS will expand upon the success of Phase I’s, interactive, scenario-based, simulative, multimedia-rich prototype CD-ROM by including Web and print materials for in-class learning and family involvement. A field test to determine the program’s effectiveness will be conducted using a pre-test, two post- tests, quasi-experimental design. The second post-test will be administered three months after the first. The testing will include two sets of schools, matched by cultural and socioeconomic characteristics. The students will be randomly assigned to either the Safe ‘N Fun solution or to a more conventional (print-based materials) recreational wheel safety program. The program's feasibility will be based on participant knowledge of the content, changes in behavior and attitudes, and self-efficacy. If the outcome of Phase II evaluation is favorable, the product will be revised for marketing to elementary schools, other educational or safety organizations targeting 10 to 14 year olds and home computer consumers.