University of Arkansas Technology Ventures

💡 Technology Spotlight: Encoding Multimodal Intensity and Temporally Dependent Stimulation for Haptic Feedback (EMITS) 🪟 Overview The EMITS technology introduces a groundbreaking method for enhancing haptic feedback through precise peripheral nerve stimulation (PNS). By encoding stimulation parameters, this innovation provides richer, more detailed tactile sensations for applications such as virtual reality, prosthetics, and remote-control systems. It addresses the limitations of traditional feedback methods by offering more natural, nuanced, and effective sensory experiences. 📽️ The Problem Traditional haptic feedback technologies, such as vibrotactile and electrotactile systems, face significant challenges. These include user habituation, limited information transmission, and the need for bulky equipment, all of which reduce usability and effectiveness. Current systems also fail to provide natural or easily interpretable sensations, limiting their potential for immersive and practical applications. 🗝️ Key Benefits Enhanced Information Transmission: Significantly increases the amount of information conveyed through a single channel of PNS stimulation. Multisensory Integration: Enables users to perceive sensations from multiple sensors within a single stimulation channel. Improved Intensity Gradation: Provides smoother and more natural variations in sensory feedback intensity. More Intuitive Sensations: Offers natural tactile feedback, particularly for applications involving hands, improving user experience and control. 🛠️ Applications Sensory Feedback for Brain-Computer Interfaces (BCI): Enhances control and sensory feedback for teleoperation systems used in advanced robotics, unmanned vehicles, and explosive device disposal. Therapeutic Orthoses: Assists motor and sensory-impaired individuals, such as stroke patients or those with carpal tunnel syndrome, by improving functional recovery and sensory feedback. Electroceuticals: Supports neuromodulating therapies as alternatives to drugs for chronic health conditions, improving treatment outcomes. Virtual Reality and Gaming: Provides immersive and lifelike haptic experiences, enriching user interaction in VR environments. Prosthetics: Enhances sensory feedback in prosthetic devices, allowing users to experience more natural and precise control. 🌟 Impact The EMITS system represents a paradigm shift in haptic feedback technology, enabling richer, more natural sensory experiences across a wide range of applications. From medical therapies to cutting-edge robotics and immersive virtual environments, this innovation is poised to redefine how users interact with and perceive tactile feedback systems. 👩🔬 Inventors Ranu Jung, Andres Pena, Sathyakumar Kuntaegowdanahalli, and Tommaso Benigni. For inquiries or licensing opportunities, please contact Technology Ventures. #IP,#Businessdevelpment, #Intellectual Property,#Idea,#peripheralnerve

💡 Technology Spotlight: Modular Apparatus for Accelerated Mechanical Testing of Implantable Leads 🪟 Overview This innovative invention introduces a modular, customizable mechanical testing system designed to evaluate the mechanical performance of implantable leads used in electrical stimulation systems. It provides a cost-effective and versatile solution for accelerated mechanical fatigue testing, addressing a critical need for assessing the durability and reliability of leads under physiologically relevant conditions. 📽️ The Problem Implantable leads in devices such as functional neuromuscular stimulators, spinal cord stimulators, and cardiac pacemakers require rigorous testing to ensure mechanical reliability and longevity. Current options for testing mechanical fatigue resistance, particularly for peripheral nerve interfaces, are limited, expensive, and often not well-suited to the specific needs of these applications. This lack of effective testing tools hinders the ability to identify failure points and develop more durable lead systems. 🗝️ Key Benefits Cost-Effective: Provides an affordable solution for performing advanced mechanical fatigue tests. Customizable: Modular design enables adaptation to various test requirements, including angular, linear, and torsional strain testing. Versatile and Flexible: Supports a wide range of mechanical testing configurations for implantable leads. Realistic Test Environment: Incorporates a sealed, temperature-controlled saline chamber to mimic physiological conditions and support accelerated fatigue testing techniques. User-Friendly: Simple and accessible design ensures usability for researchers and manufacturers. 🛠️ Applications Lead Fatigue Testing: Evaluates mechanical fatigue resistance of implantable leads for devices like peripheral nerve interfaces, cardiac pacemakers, and spinal cord stimulators. Design Validation: Identifies failure points and guides improvements in lead system design for enhanced durability and performance. R&D Support: Provides a reliable platform for researchers to test and refine implantable lead technologies. 🌟 Impact This modular testing system revolutionizes the evaluation of implantable leads by offering a versatile, cost-effective, and physiologically relevant testing platform. It empowers manufacturers and researchers to enhance the reliability and durability of electrical stimulation devices, ultimately improving patient outcomes. 👩🔬 Inventors: Anil K Thota, Ph.D., Andres Pena, and Sathyakumar Kuntaegowdanahalli For inquiries or licensing opportunities, please contact Technology Ventures University of Arkansas.

💡 Technology Spotlight: Fairness in Visual Clustering – A Novel Transformer Clustering Approach 🪟 Overview This groundbreaking invention introduces a transformative framework designed to enhance fairness and clustering performance in computer vision systems. By leveraging a new metric, cluster purity, this technology addresses demographic biases in facial clustering algorithms, paving the way for ethical and equitable AI development. 📽️ The Problem Facial clustering algorithms in computer vision often exhibit unfair treatment of demographic groups, leading to biased outcomes in critical applications such as security, hiring, and marketing. This invention tackles these challenges by ensuring fairness while improving overall clustering performance. 🗝️ Key Benefits Improved Fairness: Reduces demographic biases in facial clustering, ensuring equal treatment across diverse groups. Enhanced Performance: Optimizes clustering tasks, delivering superior accuracy and efficiency. Ethical AI Development: Aligns with the growing need for responsible and unbiased AI technologies. Better Decision-Making: Supports more accurate, fair, and informed decision-making in applications relying on computer vision. Applications -Surveillance & Security: Mitigates bias in facial recognition systems for public safety and airport security. -Social Media: Enables fair clustering for user-generated content, improving recommendations and content organization. -Recruitment: Promotes equitable hiring practices through unbiased analysis of candidate images. -Marketing & Advertising: Ensures diverse representation in targeted campaigns, improving customer engagement. -Healthcare & Medical Imaging: Reduces biases in pattern recognition across diverse patient populations, enhancing diagnostic accuracy. Law Enforcement: Prevents wrongful identifications by creating fairer facial recognition systems. -Entertainment & Media: Promotes diversity in casting through unbiased audition analysis. -Smart Cities: Develops equitable AI-driven urban services, from traffic management to public transportation. Impact This invention not only advances clustering technology but also contributes to a broader societal shift toward fairness and inclusivity in AI applications. By addressing biases in facial clustering, this innovation aligns with ethical standards and builds trust in AI systems across industries. Inventors: Khoa Luu, Hugh Churchill, and Xuan Bac Nguyen. For any questions or licensing opportunities, you can contact Technology Ventures University of Arkansas.

Happy Holidays!!🎄✨ Wishing you a joyful holiday season and a prosperous New Year ahead. We look forward to driving innovation and creating new opportunities together in 2025! #weARinnovators #startherearkansas #technologytransfer #research #innovation #economicdevelopment #arkansasalumni

Technology Ventures is excited to announce the issuance of U.S. Patent No. 11,975,486 titled “Swarm manufacturing for smart factory”. This technology is a significant advancement in automated manufacturing technology and introduces a highly adaptable modular system designed to enhance flexibility, precision, and efficiency in manufacturing operations. Key Features of the Patented System: • Modular and Scalable Design: A network of connectable floor tiles, equipped with power and navigation features, supports a dynamic layout for robots and transporters. • Versatile Functionality: Positionable robots transition seamlessly between mounted and transport modes, enabling optimized task allocation and mobility. • Enhanced Precision: Detectable markers and predefined navigation paths ensure accurate movement and positioning. • Integrated Control System: A local wireless network coordinates robots and transporters via a central server, streamlining operations and supporting complex tasks such as 3D printing. • Energy Efficiency: Built-in power solutions enable continuous operation during both transport and stationary phases. This innovation addresses key challenges in manufacturing by offering a reconfigurable, efficient, and precise system for automating processes. It holds significant potential for applications ranging from industrial manufacturing to advanced additive manufacturing solutions. We look forward to seeing the impact of this technology on the future of manufacturing! The inventors are Wenchao Zhou, Lucas Marques, Zachary Hyden, Pablo Guerra. This patent is licensed to AMBOTS. #weARinnovators #startherearkansas #technologytransfer #research #innovation #economicdevelopment #arkansasalumni

Please join us in congratulating Min Zou for being elected as a Fellow to the National Academy of Inventors! #weARinnovation #startherearkansas

Congratulations to our innovators! University of Arkansas

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#InventorSpotlight Today we celebrate Han Hu. Hu, a dedicated researcher and assistant professor of mechanical engineering at the University of Arkansas, whose drive to find order fuels his passion for discovery. In the field of thermal fluids, Hu focuses on two-phase cooling systems, essential for cooling powerful computers and even spaceships. Beyond research, Hu is deeply committed to outreach, inspiring students to approach life with a problem-solving mindset. #weARinnovators #startherearkansas #innovation #research #technologytransfer #economicdevelopment #arkansasalumni

#InventorSpotlight Today we celebrate Susanne Striegler, professor in the department of chemistry and biochemistry at the University of Arkansas. Professor Striegler's innovative research is unlocking the potential of glycosidases to transform biomass into valuable products, from pharmaceuticals to biofuels. Her interdisciplinary approach leverages catalysis, material science, and molecular recognition to create sustainable alternatives to petrochemicals. With two patents already issued and more in progress, Striegler's work has significant implications for biorefining and the development of eco-friendly solutions across multiple industries. Her goal: a breakthrough in converting complex biomass into simple sugars within the next three years, driving forward the bioeconomy! #weARinnovators #startherearkansas #innovation #research #technologytransfer #economicdevelopment #arkansasalumni https://lnkd.in/g3NvgaEz