Innovators around the world answered NASA iTech’s call for inventive ideas that could benefit space exploration as well as solve challenges on Earth. Of the submissions to the first cycle of the competition in 2020, NASA has selected 25 semifinalists.

An initiative by NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate, NASA iTech engages entrepreneurs in the Agency’s mission and fosters innovative ideas that could be applied to future exploration of the Moon and Mars.

Ideas submitted to this NASA iTech Cycle relate to four main technology areas, including artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning, biotechnology, system autonomy, and advanced manufacturing. A fifth area, referred to as

X-factor innovations, includes technologies that might not fit under the other topics but could significantly impact space exploration.

Semifinalists (in alphabetic order):

Amalgamated Vision – Brentwood, Tennessee

Laser MEMS Head Mounted Display

Aperiomics Inc.– Ashburn, Virginia

Xplore-PATHO Microbial Identification Technology

ARInspect– Fairfax, Virginia

ARInspect Smart Inspection Platform

Articulate Labs– Dallas, Texas

LimbStim

Aviana Molecular Technologies LLC– Orlando, Florida

Novel Passive Radio Frequency Sensors for Biological and Gas Sensing

CBio– Lakewood Ranch, Florida

cellPhoresis^®

Ejenta– San Francisco, California

Ejenta Intelligent Agents

ez enRoute Ltd.– Edmonton, Canada

IoT/AI platform making lives safer and secure

Healium– Columbia, Missouri

Healium XR

Immertec– Tampa, Florida

Medoptic

Invata Intralogistics– Conshohocken, Pennsylvania

Automate Intralogistics Software

Miles Space Inc.– Tampa, Florida

ConstantQ - Water-based Plasma Thruster

Mojo Vision– Saratoga, California

Mojo Vision – Augmented reality smart contact lens

NeuroFlow– Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

NeuroFlow

Orbitless Drives Inc. – Vancouver, Canada

Orbitless

Otolith Labs– Washington, D.C.

Winner Ignite the Night LAS VEGAS

OtoBand

re:3D Inc.– Houston, Texas

Gigabot 3D Printer

Sixdof Space– Jerusalem, Israel

High-speed 6DOF Indoor Optical Tracking & Navigation

Skyrora– Edinburgh, United Kingdom

Skyrora

Smartsound Corporation– Seoul, South Korea

SKEEPER and WithaPET

Stofiel Aerospace– St. Louis, Missouri

Winner Ignite the Night CHICAGO

Positive Structural Molding

Stream.ML– Edmonton, Canada

Stream.ML

Tevosol– Edmonton, Canada

Winner Ignite the Night TAMPA

EVOSS

Upright Technologies Ltd.– Tel Aviv, Israel

Wearable Posture-Trainers

Vita Inclinata Technologies– Broomfield, Colorado

Load Stability System

NASA subject-matter experts will further review the 25 semifinalists based on their relevance, likelihood of success, and potential Earth- and space-bound applications to select ten finalists. Finalists will be invited to present their ideas to NASA leadership, space industry leaders, and potential investors at the 2020 NASA iTech Cycle I Forum, a virtual event, to be held on Oct. 1-2, 2020.

About NASA iTech

NASA iTech is a yearlong effort to find innovative ideas that address challenges and will fill gaps in five critical areas identified by NASA as having a potential impact on future exploration. NASA iTech is an initiative by the Space Technology Mission Directorate and managed by the National Institute of Aerospace (NIA) in Hampton, Virginia.

To learn more about NASA iTech, visit: www.nasaitech.org

Harla Sherwood
National Institute of Aerospace, Hampton, Virginia
757-636-6300
sherwood@nianet.org