Collaborative Opportunities with the RERC System
Steve BauerDirector
RERC on Technology Transfer
FLC Mid-Atlantic Regional Meeting
Rocky Gap, MD
September 19-21, 2006
Acknowledgement
This is a publication of the Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center on Technology Transfer, which is funded by the National Institute on Disability and
Rehabilitation Research of the Department of Education under grant number H133E9800025. The opinions contained in this publication are those of the
grantee and do not necessarily reflect those of the Department of Education.
Overview
• History• Opportunity• Plan
RERC system
• USDE/NIDRR
• ~20 Rehabilitation Engineering Research Centers• 5 year cycles• ~$1M per year• Disability-related R&D
– Must transfer technology
• RERC on Technology Transfer
Modest RERC-FLC history
• 96-97 Demonstration Project• FLC Mid-Continent • MSOGS
• 98-02 Demand Pull Projects • FLC Mid-Atlantic, Northeast, Southeast, Far West• FLC Locator Service, NASA Tech Briefs• Epileptic Seizure Monitor, PowerCheq™ Battery String Equalizer
• 00-02 DTIC Access• 00-02 RERC… Federal Labs?• 00-06 Tech Watch Project
• RERC on Communication Enhancement, FLC Southeast Region• CRADA
• 05-06 World’s Best Technology• 05-06 CRADA
• MEMS/Refreshable Braille, Sandia Labs• 06… SBIR
• UD-Learning, NASA
Modest history...
• Dan Brand• Pat Rodriguez• Doug Blair• Ed Linsenmeyer• Dave Appler• Rich Dimmick• Ty Taylor
• Gary Jones
• Joe Lane• Frank DeRuyter• Jim Leahy• Steve Bauer• Bill Peterson
Wish list
Will you
• Transfer technologies perceived to be minnows or small fish?
• Learn complex disability and trans-generational markets?
• Learn diverse and specialized technologies that serve these markets?
• Make time to understand AT industry segments?
• Make time to develop and maintain AT manufacturer contacts?
Will you…
• Negotiate license agreements?
• Write SBIR grant proposals to fund product development?
• Determine product requirements?
• Validate product designs?
• Develop marketing strategies and literature?
• Find sub-contractors, distributors…
A rare breed
What we do
• Primary market research• Secondary market research• Screening and technology valuation• SBIR development• Disability markets• Assistive technologies• AT industries• Networks• Brokering• Business plan development• Marketing, Marketing Literature
6+ Industry Profiles
10 Phase I, II SBIR proposals in 1+ year
ATIA, CSUN, MedTrade, AAA…
Consumer DB, FG, expert interviews
Access to RERC systemTelecommunicationInformation Technology AccessMobile Wireless CommunicationAccessible Public TransportationWheelchair Transportation SafetyCommunication EnhancementHearing EnhancementRecreational TechnologiesSuccessful AgingWheeled MobilityProsthetics and OrthoticsTechnology for Land Mine SurvivorsLow Vision and BlindnessUniversal Design and the Built EnvironmentCognitive ImpairmentsWorkplace AccommodationsAccessible Medical InstrumentationSpinal Cord InjuryChildren with Orthopedic Impairments
What we catchFortune 500 Project
Some of our partners• Accenda• Alimed• Anthrotronix• Automatic Sync Technologies• Black & Decker• Boundless• Data Desk• Dynamic Living• First Wave• Global Telesis 3• Henter Math• Infogrip• In Touch Graphics• Kodak
• Koester Performance Research• Lasco Bathware• Maddak • Med Graph • Michelin• Orbital Research• Pass and Seymour• PowerDesigners• Sunrise Medical• Tactile Graphics• Walt Disney Company • Whirlpool• White-Rodgers
The plan
• Painless– Efficient, easy, visible
• Sustainable– Small scale, no cost (sic)
• Opportunistic– 20:80 rule
• Address (legislative, agency, social) mandates
• “Fair” to private sector contractors
Nuts and bolts
• Memorandum of understanding
• Intellectual property• Neutral broker• Your agent
• Explicit inter-agency collaboration?
• Responsibilities and commitments
ICDR…
FLC side
• Website link, locator service…
• …
• Technology referral
• …
• Follow up
– Interest
– Response…
– Terms
• Oversight, Evaluation
T2RERC…
T2RERC…
T2RERC side
• Website, use locator service…– Technology needs– Demand based
• …
• Screen
• …
• Transfer Activities
• Oversight, Evaluation
Industry Profiles, ATIA, F500…
FLC
FLC
Questions?
Thanks!John Eichelberger
Mid-Atlantic Region, Federal Laboratory Consortium
Contact Information
• Stephen Bauer– Director, Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center
on Technology Transfer– Email [email protected] – Phone (716) 829-3141 x 117– URL http://cosmos.buffalo.edu/t2rerc
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