Tag Archives: georgia tech research institute

Preventing Problems: Georgia Tech Helps to Develop System That Will Detect Insider Threats from Massive Data Sets

By Guest PostNovember 13, 2011Technologyadams, advanced statistical anomaly detection methods, algorithm, anomaly detection at multiple scales, army research office, carnegie mellon university, cyber network, darpa, david a bader, defense advanced research projects agency, edmond chow, electronically recorded activities, email, erica briscoe, file transfers, fred wright, georgia institute of technology, georgia tech research institute, gtri, homicidal, insider threats, irfan essa, john fratamico, joshua l davis, lora weiss, oregon state university, prototype, richard boyd, saic, scalable graph processing algorithms, science applications international corporation, soldier in good mental health, text messages, university of massachusetts, unusual activity

When a soldier in good mental health becomes homicidal or a government employee abuses access privileges to share classified information, we often wonder why no one saw it coming. When looking through the evidence after the fact, a trail often exists that, had it been noticed, could have possibly provided enough time to intervene and prevent an incident.

With support from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and the Army Research Office, researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology are collaborating with scientists from four other organizations to develop new approaches for identifying these “insider threats” before an incident occurs. The two-year, $9 million project will create a suite of algorithms that can detect multiple types of insider threats by analyzing massive amounts of data — including email, text messages and file transfers — for unusual activity. (more…)

Printed Protection: Low-cost Paper-based Wireless Sensor Could Help Detect Explosive Devices

By Guest PostOctober 27, 2011Science, Weaponsammonia, antenna on paper, antennas, carbon nanotubes, circuits, cnt sensor, cnts, communication devices, device, explosives, flexible organic materials, gas chromatography, georgia institute of technology, georgia tech research institute, gtri, hazardous gas sensors, hoseon lee, human hair, ieds, ieee antennas and propagation symposium, ieee aps, improvised explosive devices, inkjet printed ammonia, inkjet technology, krishna naishadham, lcp, liquid crystal polymer, low concentration levels, manos tentzeris, military engagement zone, nanoscale cylindrical structures, one billionth of a meter, photographic paper, polyethylene terephthalate, prototype wireless sensor, resonant lightweight antenna, rf components, rf technology, semiconductor, sensing component, sensitivity to miniscule ammonia concentrations, sensor information, solar cells, spokane, weather resistance, wireless component, xiaojuan judy song

Researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology have developed a prototype wireless sensor capable of detecting trace amounts of a key ingredient found in many explosives.

The device, which employs carbon nanotubes and is printed on paper or paper-like material using standard inkjet technology, could be deployed in large numbers to alert authorities to the presence of explosives, such as improvised explosive devices (IEDs). (more…)

Defense Testing: Georgia Tech Research Institute Opens New Compact Range for Antenna and Radar Cross Section Measurements

By Guest PostOctober 24, 2011Weapons10th street, anechoic absorber treatment, antenna characteristics, antenna testing, atlanta campus, centennial research building, chebyshev patch, cobb county facility, compact range, defense related research projects, department of defense, electromagnetic interference, georgia tech research institute, gigahertz, gtri, quasi monostatic broadband, radar beam patterns, radar cross section measurements, radio and television broadcast stations, reflector, richard johnson, stephen blalock

The Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI) has opened a new compact range that will be used for radar cross section measurements and antenna testing. The new facility, which is shielded against electromagnetic interference, will be used for GTRI’s defense-related research projects and collaborations with outside organizations.

Located in GTRI’s midtown Atlanta campus, the facility has a test zone that is approximately six feet wide, four feet tall and six feet deep. It can test at frequencies ranging from two gigahertz (GHz) to 100 gigahertz, and that range can be extended down to 800 megahertz (MHz). (more…)

Breaking Down Plastics: New Standard Specification May Facilitate Use of Additives that Trigger Biodegradation of Oil-Based Plastics in Landfills

By Guest PostSeptember 27, 2011Environmentanaerobic biodegradation, anaerobically biodegradable and recyclable, anaerobically biodegradable conventional plastics, anaerobically biodegradable in municipal landfill facilities, atmospheric warming gases, biodegradation, biodegrade, biogas methane, biogenic carbon, bioplastics, carbon dioxide, charles lancelot, chemical additives, electricity, erin prowett, gautam patel, georgia institute of technology, georgia tech research institute, global climate change, gtri, humus, landfills, lisa detter hoskin, methane, north carolina state university, oil derived plastics, organic substances, oxobiodegradables, oxygen and ultraviolet light, pec, pet products, plastic materials, plastic packaging, plastics environmental council, polyethylene, polymer biodegradation, polypropylene, recycling, recycling of plastic water bottles, styrofoam, typical us landfills, united states, us plastics industry, walton collins

Despite efforts to encourage the recycling of plastic water bottles, milk jugs and similar containers, a majority of the plastic packaging produced each year in the United States ends up in landfills, where it can take thousands of years to degrade. To address that problem with traditional polyethylene, polypropylene, Styrofoam and PET products, researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology are working with the Plastics Environmental Council (PEC) to expand the use of chemical additives that cause such items to biodegrade in landfills.

Added during production of the plastic packaging, the compounds encourage anaerobic landfill bacteria and fungi to break down the plastic materials and convert them to biogas methane, carbon dioxide and biogenic carbon – also known as humus. These additives – simple organic substances that build on the known structures of materials that induce polymer biodegradation – don’t affect the performance of the plastics, introduce heavy metals or other toxic chemicals, or prevent the plastics from being recycled in current channels. (more…)

Innovation Served on a Napkin: How GTRI Moved a Simple Idea From Inspiration to Fabrication

By Guest PostSeptember 3, 2011Science3 d cell, adrenaline, air-conditioning, bloo solar of west sacramento, boeing, boston in 2003, dna replicating process, georgia, georgia tech research institute, gtri, horizon, ip2biz, jack flicker, jud ready, kevlar, larry bawden, micro scale manhattan, microelectronics, nanotechnologies, napkin, octagonal, pcr, polymerase chain reaction, powerpoint presentation, prototypes, solar energy, xcor, yellow jacket flying club

A ground-breaking innovation, birthed in a sudden flash of insight, is the stuff of legend. Air conditioning, Kevlar, the DNA-replicating process known as PCR (polymerase chain reaction) — each was the product of a Eureka! moment. The list may soon be longer by one, thanks to a wandering mind and a napkin.

When Jud Ready attended an academic conference on materials science in Boston in 2003, he didn’t plan on coming home with the idea for a three-dimensional solar cell, but that’s what happened. (more…)

Optimizing Eyesight: R&D Collaboration Focuses on New System for Measuring and Improving Human Vision

By Guest PostJuly 14, 2011Scienceatlanta based company, chief technology officer, computer controlled lens fabrication technology, david roberts, digitalvision, disruptive technology, eye chart, fda, food and drug administration, georgia research alliance, georgia tech research institute, gra, gtri, humphrey system, humphrey vision analyzer, jose garcia, keith thompson, leanne west, lee herron, ophthalmologists, optical system, optometrists, phoropter, vision, visionoptimizer

With research and development assistance from the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI) and seed funding from the Georgia Research Alliance (GRA), an Atlanta-based company is developing what it hopes will be the next-generation instrument for optimizing eyesight for the hundreds of millions of people who wear glasses or contacts – or who are candidates for corrective surgery.

To be used by optometrists and ophthalmologists, the instrument – known as the VisionOptimizer – is intended to provide more accurate vision measurements, along with a more patient-friendly and engaging vision test. The company believes its system will facilitate the custom-manufacturing of spectacles and contact lenses that provide better eyesight and improved wearing comfort compared to conventional prescriptions. (more…)

iPhone App May Support Monitoring and Research on Parkinson’s Disease

By Guest PostJune 21, 2011Health, Technologyadvanced technology development center, app store, apple inc, atdc, brian parise, dyskinesia, emory university, food and drug administration, georgia tech, georgia tech research institute, gtri, iphone application, itrem, neurological conditions, parkinson disease, puzzle games, robert delano, startup, stewart factor, university of south florida, wife heather

Researchers at the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI) have developed a novel iPhone application that may enable persons with Parkinson’s disease and certain other neurological conditions to use the ubiquitous devices to collect data on hand and arm tremors and relay the results to medical personnel.

The researchers believe the application could replace subjective tests now used to assess the severity of tremors, while potentially allowing more frequent patient monitoring without costly visits to medical facilities. (more…)

Multitasking Challenge: Radar Analysis of Walking Patterns Shows Promise for Detecting Concussions in Athletes and Soldiers

By Guest PostApril 25, 2011Sciencealcohol impairment, amy sharma, brain injuries, cognitive and motor skill, concussions, eugene greneker, georgia tech research institute, gigahertz, goggles, gtri, independent research and development, irad, jennifer palmer, kristin bing, laptop, multitasking challenge, radar system, teresa selee

Walking and thinking at the same time can be especially difficult for persons who’ve suffered concussions, and scientists hope to use that multitasking challenge — measured by a simple radar system — to quickly screen individuals who may have suffered brain injuries.

By asking an individual to walk a short distance while saying the months of the year in reverse order, researchers at the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI) can determine if that person is impaired and possibly suffering from a concussion. This simple test, which could be performed on the sideline of a sporting event or on a battlefield, has the potential to help coaches and commanders decide if athletes and soldiers are ready to engage in activity again. (more…)