Lightweight, Wearable Metal Rubber-Textile Sensor for In Situ Lunar Autonomous Health Monitoring, Phase I

NanoSonic proposes to develop a low-weight, non-invasive in situ autonomous health-monitoring system for crewmembers' lunar extravehicular activity (EVA). This novel sensor technology aims at monitoring health status to improve comfort and efficiency of astronaut as well as to eliminate catastrophic failure to the individual and mission. The sensor system would consist of a fully-interconnected, non-invasive, and wearable Metal Rubber^TM-Textile sensor, which would be worn underneath the protective spacesuit (outer-vehicular wear) and/or can also be integrated into the inner lining of suits worn inside NASA exploratory lunar vehicles. The comfortable, durable, and low mass density fabric sensor network would be developed via Metal Rubber(TM) technology and nanostructured materials for mapping crewmembers' health status via advanced intrinsic physiological monitoring. Metal Rubber^TM is fabricated as a conformal coating or free-standing material via layer-by-layer, molecular self-assembly, which enables thickness and placement control over multiple constituents for true nanostructured multifunctionality; while advanced polymers have allowed scale-up to free-standing materials (several mm thick). Metal Rubber^TM requires less than 0.03 volume % of metal, allowing the manufacturing a cost effective, low-weight material. NanoSonic's proposed health-monitoring system would address monitoring the astronauts' metabolic rate, heart rate, electrocardiogram (ECG), and body temperature for both EVA and intra-vehicular activities.

Potential NASA Commercial Applications: Metal Rubber^TM and Metal Rubber^TM-Textiles can be used as replacements for conventional metallic wire sensors, heavy and bulky antenna components, and as a replacement for tin-lead solder for the mechanical, electrical and thermal interconnection of electronic and mechanical components. Metal Rubber^TM-Textile materials may also be used in high performance, highly flexible and mechanically robust wearable sensor systems, electronic flex circuits, antennas, flexible displays and smart electronic fabrics.

This is a mature technology (TRL 7+) — the realistic path in is usually NASA's Technology Transfer Program: licensing an existing NASA patent, or a Space Act Agreement to use NASA facilities/expertise directly. NASA also runs a startup licensing program with no upfront fee for companies formed to commercialize a specific NASA technology.

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