NASA Spinoff Technologies

Have any of you seen those gigapixel images from sporting events (the giant panoramic pictures that show everything in detail)? The first one I saw was of the homecoming game against Michigan. My dad sent me and my brother an email with the link and pointed out where we were. (I honestly have no idea how he found us. Yes, the quality is amazing, but there are so many people—all wearing white—and only half of my face is visible…) There are also ones from the Return to Rec basketball game and from the opening night at the Pegula Ice Arena.

These pictures are super cool, but you may be wondering what exactly they have to do with space. Well, the photo processing software to make supersized digital pictures was developed by NASA to take images of Mars and then later brought to the commercial market. Every year, NASA publishes a report called Spinoff that highlights new spinoff products. (NASA also publishes monthly “Tech Briefs” aimed at the scientific/technical community that list available licensing opportunities.) According to Spinoff 2013, a spinoff is “a commercialized product incorporating NASA technology or expertise that benefits the public.”

[Interesting note: there is a distinction between a “NASA spinoff” and a “NASA success.” The latter is “a NASA technology that is not available on the market but still yields benefits to the public.” The example given in the FAQs is technology that is used to restore artwork damaged by fire—useful to the public, but not commercially available.]

The NASA Spinoff homepage features some of the latest spinoffs, and they also have a searchable database. According to the site, around 1,800 stories have been published since 1976. Spinoff has many goals, but perhaps the biggest one is to justify NASA funding. By showing people all of the things that have come from NASA, through their tax dollars, the hope is that people will see value in continuing funding.

I chose to start off with gigapixel images because it was on the homepage of the site and it seemed relevant, but there are tons of other cool technologies. The Wikipedia page lists 27 spinoffs (not sure how those 27 were picked, but it’s a nice place to look if you want a shorter list). Things that have been created or advanced by spinoff technology include: memory foam, freeze drying, anti-icing systems for aircraft, ventricular assist devices, firefighting equipment, and water purification.

I think collaboration between the government and private sector is so crucial to advancement of all kind, and these spinoffs really prove the technological side of that. There is a lot of money invested in NASA, and there are obviously a lot of very smart people working for NASA. But there are also a lot of very clever researchers and entrepreneurs not working for NASA. By combining these factors, amazing things can result—things that may seem more tangible or useful than exploring the universe—and I think it’s a great idea to promote these successes.

What do you guys think (about spinoffs or NASA funding in general)? Had you heard of any other spinoff technologies before reading this post?

 

3 thoughts on “NASA Spinoff Technologies

  1. I think my room mate is eternal grateful to NASA for the memory foam. It’s always weird to find out how certain things originate and simple things came from such complex beginnings. I personally do not know any NASA spin off technology, but I probably use several things a day. In my science class last semester we spent an entire class talking about how funding for big projects often leads to smaller creations along the way. These “smaller” creations tend to dramatically impact life. For example the internet and intranet went through dramatic changes and improvements by scientists who were coming up with a better way to communicate to people during a big experiment. I am a huge supporter of science based projects because of spin offs like this.

  2. When people typically talk about funding and NASA, they usually only concern themselves with the idea of space exploration and travel. But it’s truly incredible to see how much NASA has affected the society here on earth. I was always told that velcro was created by NASA scientists, but I have since found out that this is not true. But NASA has still been a part of some incredible technologies, ranging from health/medicine like cochlear implants, to common home items such as memory foam like you and Joe mentioned. As much as they have already done, there is still so much potential for more, so this “spin off” idea is great.

  3. I am always just completely and utterly mesmerized by NASA. The things that the brilliant people that work there are able to come up with and create are remarkable. NASA is always quietly around, everyone knows it for space travel and the moon landing, however I feel as though most people don’t realize the scope of research that actually takes place there. I’m pretty sure even the technology behind Tempurpedic mattresses was originally developed at NASA?! I hope tax dolloars continue to fund this incredible science and technology sector of the government, and even can increase at some point. Despite the glaring problems in the American government today, NASA has continued to be a shining success.

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