TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER OPPORTUNITY: Low Mass Antenna Boosts RFID Device Performance (MSC-TOPS-117)

NASA’s Technology Transfer Program solicits inquiries from companies interested in obtaining license rights to commercialize, manufacture and market the following technology. License rights may be issued on an exclusive or nonexclusive basis and may include specific fields of use. NASA provides no funding in conjunction with these potential licenses.

THE TECHNOLOGY: Innovators at NASA Johnson Space Center have developed a quarter-wavelength RFID dual mode antenna that provides polarization diversity and employs dual resonances, but in a form factor that is much smaller than other RFID antennas that provide similar functionality. Typically, antennas designed to provide this performance are on the order of half-wavelength structure which means a larger form factor. Development of this antenna was motivated by the Hyper-Distributed RFID Antenna (HYDRA) system.

The HYDRA design seeks a “barely visible” implementation, with a coaxial cable connecting a number of RFID antennas that are not much bigger than the coaxial cable itself. This reduced size should be useful in enclosed vehicles, office spaces, laboratories, etc. Although this RFID dual mode antenna was originally developed for the HYDRA system, this antenna has other applications. For example, small antennas with polarization diversity in handheld RFID readers have long been a challenge.

The industry standard is a ceramic half-wavelength puck that is somewhat heavy and leads to ergonomic problems with handheld RFID readers. This innovation could provide a substantial improvement in handheld readers, and similarly with drone-based readers, for applications in which mass is almost always a primary factor.

To express interest in this opportunity, please submit a license application through NASA’s Automated Technology Licensing Application System (ATLAS) by visiting https://technology.nasa.gov/patent/MSC-TOPS-117 If you have any questions, please e-mail NASA’s Technology Transfer Program at Agency-Patent-Licensing@mail.nasa.gov with the title of this Technology Transfer Opportunity as listed in this SAM.gov notice and your preferred contact information.

For more information about licensing other NASA-developed technologies, please visit the NASA Technology Transfer Portal at https://technology.nasa.gov/ These responses are provided to members of NASA’s Technology Transfer Program for the purpose of promoting public awareness of NASA-developed technology products, and conducting preliminary market research to determine public interest in and potential for future licensing opportunities. No follow-on procurement is expected to result from responses to this Notice.