NASA SBIR SUCCESS STORY Dryden Flight Research Center
2004 Phase 1

Point Coupled Displacement Sensor

Engineering Acoustics, Inc.

Winter Park, FL

INNOVATION

A novel position sensor has been developed termed a Point Coupled Sensor (PCS). This sensor is able to detect the position of a target, typically a small piece of metal, in one or two dimensions. The PCS technology is low cost, lightweight and can be fabricated on thin flexible printed circuit boards (PCB).




PurePutt Golf Putting Monitor


ACCOMPLISHMENTS

  • The PCS has demonstrated comparable resolution and accuracy to commercially available displacement sensors but offers improved sensor bandwidth, the potential to be integrated within complex structures and unique 2D measurement capability that potentially allows moving surfaces to be measured and a multitude of new sensor applications
  • A golf putting sensor, PurePutt, has been developed:
    • In this configuration, the PCS is able to track a club as it strikes a ball, measuring the club face orientation, the acceleration and the path of the club
    • It is commercially available and has been presented at several trade shows including the 2006 PGA show
COMMERCIALIZATION
  • The Golf Putting Monitor has been developed under a joint venture
  • The initial market for this system is in golf instruction
  • A second market will be as a consumer product
  • EAI has 2 patents pending on the technology
  • Partnerships and licensing options are sought to extend the PCS into other applications

GOVERNMENT/SCIENCE APPLICATIONS
  • The PCS offers a light weight, low cost, configurable solution which is advantageous in many areas but especially emerging UAV platforms
  • Integration of the PCS into flight platforms will require application specific development
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Curator: SBIR Support           06/24/06