2341560

STTR PHASE I: ACTIVELENS: ENABLING STATIONARY OCCUPANCY DETECTION OF PASSIVE INFRARED MOTION SENSORS -THE BROADER IMPACT OF THIS SMALL BUSINESS TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER (STTR) PHASE I PROJECT IS IN DEVELOPING INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGIES THAT HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO IMPROVE INDOOR OCCUPANCY SENSING DEVICES SIGNIFICANTLY.

IT WILL ENABLE NEW FEATURES AND APPROACHES IN APPLICATIONS LIKE OCCUPANCY-CENTERED LIGHTING, TEMPERATURE CONTROL SYSTEMS, SURVEILLANCE, ETC. TO ADDRESS CHALLENGES ASSOCIATED WITH STANDARD PASSIVE INFRARED (PIR) SENSORS, THE COMPANY HAS DEVELOPED ACTIVELENS, A LENS TECHNOLOGY WITH ADVANCED FEATURES OVERCOMING ISSUES RELATED TO MECHANICAL SHUTTERS.

ACTIVELENS SENSORS USE ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI) ALGORITHMS AND PROCESSING TO ACHIEVE IMPROVED DETECTION CAPABILITIES. THIS PROJECT WILL EXPOSE FRESH GRADUATING STUDENTS, PARTICULARLY WOMEN, FIRST-GENERATION COLLEGE STUDENTS, AND OTHER UNDERREPRESENTED MINORITIES, TO VALUABLE SKILLS IN AREAS LIKE SEMICONDUCTOR CHIP DESIGN, DATA PROCESSING, AND QUALITY CONTROL.

THIS PROJECT FOSTERS COLLABORATION BETWEEN RESEARCHERS, BUSINESS LEADERS, AND OTHER ORGANIZATIONS. THE TEAM HAS ALREADY REFINED PROTOTYPES AND IS NOW DISCUSSING WITH COMMERCIAL USERS TO DEVELOP CUSTOMIZED SOLUTIONS. THIS SMALL BUSINESS TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER (STTR) PHASE I PROJECT WILL SUPPORT RESEARCH ACTIVITIES FOR PIRVISION LENS LLC TO BRING THE PROPRIETARY SOLID-STATE ACTIVELENS TECHNOLOGY TO THE MARKET BY OVERCOMING TECHNICAL CHALLENGES IN OPTIMIZING INFRARED ENERGY TRANSMITTANCE, DIFFERENTIATING HUMAN SIGNALS FROM OTHER WARM OBJECTS, AND MODULARIZING AI ALGORITHMS TO ENABLE MINIMUM VIABLE PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT.

TODAY, BUILDINGS ARE EQUIPPED WITH PIR SENSORS FOR OCCUPANCY DETECTION, OWING TO THEIR LOW COST, LOW ENERGY CONSUMPTION, WIDE FIELD OF VIEW, AND HIGH RELIABILITY. DESPITE THESE ADVANTAGES, PIR SENSORS ONLY DETECT MOTION, NOT STATIONARY OCCUPANCY. THIS LONG-STANDING LIMITATION HAS HINDERED APPLICATIONS THAT DEMAND HIGH-ACCURACY OCCUPANCY DETECTION.

IF SUCCESSFUL, THE PROPOSED SEMICONDUCTOR MODULATOR WILL ENABLE NOVEL CAPABILITIES FOR STANDARD PIR SENSORS, INCLUDING STATIONARY OCCUPANCY DETECTION, HUMAN INFRARED SIGNAL DIFFERENTIATION, OCCUPANCY COUNTING, ACTIVITY IDENTIFICATION, AND CLASSIFICATION - REPRESENTING THE FIRST TRUE TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATION IN PIR SENSING IN OVER 40 YEARS. IT IS A DISRUPTIVE, INNOVATIVE, EFFICIENT, AND COST-EFFECTIVE SOLUTION THAT CAN BE COMBINED WITH ANY STANDARD PIR COMPONENT SENSOR TO IDENTIFY UNDERUTILIZED SPACES AND MINIMIZE OPERATING COSTS.

THIS AWARD REFLECTS NSF'S STATUTORY MISSION AND HAS BEEN DEEMED WORTHY OF SUPPORT THROUGH EVALUATION USING THE FOUNDATION'S INTELLECTUAL MERIT AND BROADER IMPACTS REVIEW CRITERIA.- SUBAWARDS ARE PLANNED FOR THIS AWARD.

Pirvision Lens

THE GOAL OF THIS FUNDING OPPORTUNITY, "NSF SMALL BUSINESS INNOVATION RESEARCH (SBIR)/ SMALL BUSINESS TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER (STTR) PROGRAMS PHASE I", IS IDENTIFIED IN THE LINK: HTTPS://WWW.NSF.GOV/PUBLICATIONS/PUB_SUMM.JSP?ODS_KEY=NSF23515

47.084 - NSF Technology, Innovation, and Partnerships

National Science Foundation (NSF)

Bryan, Texas 77807-3476 United States

Single Zip Code

NSF Small Business Innovation Research / Small Business Technology Transfer Phase I Programs (23-515)

Amendment Since initial award the End Date has been extended from 03/31/25 to 03/31/26 and the total obligations have increased 7% from $275,000 to $295,000.