Cold Regions Lab Researcher is Awarded Patent

17 Feb 04 - Hanover, N.H. - Dr. Norbert Yankielun, a research electronic engineer with the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center's Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory (CRREL) in Hanover, N.H., has been awarded U.S. Patent #6,690,316, System and Method for Automatic Alerting to Geospatial Anomalies.

"This is the type of system that could be used to detect crevasses within the Antarctic terrain, increasing the safety of traverses," said Yankielun of his newest invention. "This system is an automatic alerting system - relieving the need for a person to watch a radar screen for many hours."

One of CRREL's most prolific inventors, Yankielun has been associated with the laboratory for more than 15 years. He is the sole inventor or co-inventor of 22 patents with numerous others in process. Yankielun's patents involve the application of electronics and electromagnetics to solve geophysical and environmental instrumentation, monitoring and measurement problems, especially related to military and civil cold regions challenges.

Yankielun is a resident of Lebanon, N.H.

CRREL is one of seven laboratories that make up the ERDC. The ERDC is the premier research and development facility for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers with more than 2,000 employees, $1.2 billion in facilities, and an annual research program exceeding $698 million. It conducts research in both military and civil works mission areas for the Department of Defense and the nation. CRREL is the only Department of Defense laboratory addressing problems and opportunities unique to the world's cold regions. Located in Hanover, N.H., CRREL also has field offices in Fairbanks and Anchorage, Alaska.