NASA JSC: Gravity Offload fo Patient Rehabilitation
Synopsis – Jan 10, 2014
Statement of Interest Form – Posted on Jan 10, 2014
General Information
Solicitation Number: NNJ14ZBH020L
Posted Date: Jan 10, 2014
FedBizOpps Posted Date: Jan 10, 2014
Recovery and Reinvestment Act Action: No
Original Response Date: Mar 17, 2014
Current Response Date: Apr 11, 2014
Classification Code: A — Research and Development
NAICS Code: 541712
Contracting Office Address
NASA/Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Houston Texas, 77058-3696, Mail Code: BH
Description
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Johnson Space Center (JSC) is seeking parties interested in collaborative development and mature technologies required for NASA’s future missions and to enhance life on Earth. JSC is looking to partner on the development of broadly applicable technologies as a means to accelerate technology development and strengthen commercialization of federally-funded research and development.
Purpose:
NASA JSC seeks parties interested in co-developing technology associated with its Active Response Gravity Offload System (ARGOS).
The ARGOS allows humans, robotics, and passive systems to experience reduced gravity environments from microgravity to full gravity (e.g., earth surface, lunar surface, Martian surface and microgravity).
The medical community has noted that application of such a system would greatly improve the state-of-the-art for medical rehabilitation for conditions including lower extremity rehabilitation, neuromuscular and proprioceptive retraining. ARGOS is more sensitive to subtle motions than any system currently available.
Technology:
ARGOS supplies continuous ability to offload a portion or all of a person’s weight during dynamic motions such as walking, running, and jumping. The ARGOS system tracks the person’s motion in the horizontal direction to maintain a vertical offload force directly above the person by measuring the deflection of the cable and adjusting accordingly.
ARGOS accomplishes this feat using a full motion based robotic system. This system, while similar to an under-hung gantry crane system, reacts to the motion of the mass instead of a manually operated controller.
NASA designed this facility to be capable of accomplishing the following: surface operation studies; space suit and space vehicle requirements development; space suit and space vehicle design evaluation; and testing of rovers and robots in simulated reduced gravity environments.
For more information please visit the ARGOS http://www.nasa.gov/centers/johnson/engineering/integrated_environments/active_response_gravity/index.html
R&D Status:
The ARGOS utilizes advanced hardware and software technology that continues to be developed and updated.
Challenges to adapting the ARGOS for patient rehabilitation include harness comfort and reduction of human performance caused by a harness system.
Intellectual Property: Patent pending: NASA-MSC-25386-1 – Active Response Gravity Offload System and Method.
This co-development project may produce new IP that could be jointly owned by NASA and the partner or may become the property of the partner.
This announcement is not to be construed as a Request for Proposal and is not a commitment by the government, nor will the government pay for any information provided. Since this is an Announcement, no evaluation letters or results will be issued to the respondents.
Please submit the attached Statement of Interest Form to Mark Dillard
To view all Co-Development and Partnering Opportunities with the NASA Johnson Space Center please visit our website http://1.usa.gov/1bL99AF
Point of Contact
Name: Mark A. Dillard
Title: Lead Partnership Development Office Integration
Phone: 281-244-8460
Fax: 281-483-4146
Email: mark.a.dillard@nasa.gov
Name: Dana Altmon-Cary
Title: Contracting Officer
Phone: 281-483-8228
Fax: 281-483-4066
Email: dana.altmon-cary-1@nasa.gov
