News Release
October 15, 1996
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

University Of Maryland Opens Lab Doors To Celebrate High-Tech Research And Partnerships

As part of this event, hosted by the university's Offices of Technology Liaison and Graduate Studies and Research, the Honorable Casper R. Taylor, Jr., speaker of the House of Delegates for the state of Maryland, will announce a new innovative collaboration with the university at the "Maryland Partnerships in Science and Technology" luncheon presentation from 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. Speaker Taylor recently formed the House Economic Matters Subcommittee on Science and Technology.

"While the open house celebrates the university as a national leader in scientific research and technology transfer, it also promotes university and industry partnerships that benefit the economic development and quality of life for people in the state of Maryland, as well as throughout the world," said Wayne Swann, executive director of the Office of Technology Liaison.

Professionals in business, research and government will have the opportunity to develop or broaden relationships with the university, explore the university's diverse range of research and learn about resources and facilities to create new technologies, bring technologies to market and support the establishment of new technology-based companies.

As the state's flagship university, the University of Maryland at College Park is the most comprehensive institution of higher education, research and service in the state of Maryland. In fact, at $200 million per year, the university ranks among the top 25 universities in the country in total research and development expenditures.

The Office of Technology Liaison is the university's primary agent for patenting, marketing and licensing technologies. The office has documented and managed more than 500 inventions, executed technology transfer agreements with business and industry for more than 200 inventions, generated more than $8 million in total income for the university, secured more than 75 issued U.S. patents, and spun-off six new Maryland companies from university technologies.

HIGH-TECH HIGHLIGHTS
The following examples demonstrate the broad range of high-tech research that will be showcased among 75 labs and facilities open at the University of Maryland at College Park's Technology and Innovation Open House on Thursday, October 17, from 9 a.m.-4 p.m.

* Robots to repair satellites in outer space
Space Systems Laboratory
Director: Dr. David L. Akin
Location: Neutral Buoyancy Research Facility
Tours: On the hour, limited to 30 people
The Space Systems Laboratory houses the Neutral Buoyancy Research Facility, which features the prototype for the Ranger robot that the university and NASA are preparing for launch into space to repair satellites in 1998. The facility is one of only three such laboratories in the United States, and the only one in the world to be located on the campus of a university. The 14,000 sq. ft. facility is built around a 50 ft. diameter, 25 ft. deep water tank, used for underwater simulation of the microgravity environment of space.

* New tests to detect salmonella on farms
Joseph Laboratory
Director: Dr. Sammy W. Joseph
Location: Room 2117, Microbiology Building
Dr. Joseph's research focuses on methods to reduce salmonella on farms. This includes a working model to study the effects of various decontaminants and temperature on poultry crates and the development of new tests and bacteriological media. This lab also has developed a MEDLYNX(TM) Medical History Card using alpha numeric figures to encode seven pages of medical history on a drivers license-size card.

* Computers that can recognize human facial features for identification purposes
Image Processing Laboratory
Director: Dr. Rama Chellapa
Location: Room 2210, A.V. Williams Building
Designing computers to read human facial features for identification purposes is one of the technologies being developed in this lab. The facility also focuses on the study of algorithms for image stabilization, motion estimation and image compression.

Other High-Tech Facilities

* Wind tunnel that tests aerodynamics at speeds of 230 mph
Glenn L. Martin Wind Tunnel
Director: Dr. Jewel B. Barlow
Location: Glenn L. Martin Wind Tunnel Building
The university boasts the most advanced, low-speed wind tunnel of any university in the nation. A state-of-the-art facility, the Glenn L. Martin Wind Tunnel is a 19-foot diameter fan powered by a 2,000 horsepower motor, providing up to 230 mph air flow. It is large enough to perform extensive development tests for a wide range of vehicles and other systems and is well suited for conducting major research efforts in low-speed aerodynamics and hydrodynamics.

* Bioprocess facility that brings experiments to commercial production
Bioprocess Scale-Up Facility
Director: Dr. William Bentley
Location: Room 1203, Chemical and Nuclear Engineering Building
The Bioprocess Scale-Up Facility provides a vital link in scaling up from laboratory bench experiments to full-scale commercial production. The facility offers low-cost, pilot-scale process development capabilities to companies that are not ready or able to invest in equipment and support systems.

The Office of Technology Liaison at the University of Maryland at College Park was established in 1986 to facilitate the transfer of life, information and physical science inventions developed at the university to business and industry.