SRI International Digest, #29, Spring 2009
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IN THIS ISSUE
R&D News
SRI in the News
Industry Events
Events at SRI
News from SRI Spin-Off Ventures
Have You Seen It?
R&D News
U.S. Air Force and SRI Successfully Transmit First GPS Signal in L5 Frequency Band
 Early in the morning on April 10, the U.S. Air Force GPS IIR-20(M) satellite successfully made the first transmission of a GPS signal in the L5 frequency band. Initial broadcast of the signal was monitored and validated at SRI's radio reflector antenna in cooperation with the GPS Wing, 2nd Space Operations Squadron, Lockheed Martin, Draper Laboratory, and the MITRE Corporation. The successful L5 transmission marks an important milestone in GPS civilian applications and opens the door to new R&D in safety-of-life applications for the commercial transportation sector. 
Innovative Eldercare Service Robot Demonstrated at RoboBusiness 2009
At RoboBusiness 2009, ROBOSOFT and SRI International demonstrated robuLAB10, a service robot designed to assist the elderly in their own homes. The robuLAB10 robot integrates SRI’s Karto™ navigation software, enabling the robot to navigate, follow, and assist a person from room-to-room. The robuLAB10 robot is being designed for developers and integrators seeking to build home-centric service robots.
No More Needles: New Oral Formulation for Vancomycin
Auricx Pharmaceuticals has gained rights from SRI to oral formulations of the antibiotic vancomycin. Serious infections that are increasingly affecting the general public, like MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus), will be treated less invasively and at a lower cost. Oral formulations will allow administering the antibiotic without the cost and discomfort of intravenous interventions.
Silicon Valley Veterans Join SRI’s Business Team
Read about some of Silicon Valley’s best who have recently joined the SRI team:
Jim Rurka, Executive Director, Biosciences Commercialization
Stephen Ciesinski, VP, Strategic Business Development
Alan De Clerck, Executive Director, IT and Computing Sciences Commercialization
Pain Relief Comes in Pairs
 SRI seeks healthy fraternal and identical twin pairs to participate in a National Institutes of Health-sponsored study to help scientists develop more targeted and effective pain relief medications. Volunteer twins will participate in one day of tests at Stanford University School of Medicine.
Twins and other multiples are in a unique position to offer insight into whether certain conditions are environmental or genetic. Study results will help determine the role genetics should play in pain therapy and guide future studies that examine differences between individuals.
Visit SRI’s Northern California Twin Registry to learn more about the study or to join our twin referral program.
In the news: San Jose Mercury News: Pain Times Two: Stanford Researchers Recruit Twin Pairs for Pain Study
SRI's Artificial Intelligence Center Adds Advanced Analytics Group
A team of computer scientists from Fair Isaac in San Diego has joined SRI’s Artificial Intelligence Center. The scientists have worked extensively in text and image analysis and in analytic decision optimization, and bring to SRI a broad range of skills in machine learning and related areas.
Did you know? Fair Isaac was founded in 1956 by two SRI alumni. Engineer Bill Fair and mathematician Earl Isaac believed that data used intelligently could improve business decisions. Fair Isaac is now a leading provider of credit scoring, decision management, fraud detection, and credit risk score services.
Upcoming Industry Events
SRI is participating in several upcoming events, where you can meet our researchers and get a close-up look at some of our latest innovations.
- Navy League Sea-Air-Space Expo, National Harbor, Maryland, May 4-6, Booth #700: SRI showcases its solutions for port security, maritime domain awareness, and open software architecture.
- Immunology 2009 Seattle, WA, May 8-12. Booth #522. SRI Biosciences will be on the show floor and also present two posters on novel treatments for autoimmune diseases and for bowel syndromes.
View our full calendar.
Events at SRI
Nuclear Fusion Brewing at Next Café Scientifique
On May 12, Dr. Ed Moses, PhD, from the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory National Ignition Facility will speak about nuclear fusion. Cafe Scientifique events are held monthly at SRI's Menlo Park, Calif. facility.
SRI in the News
Computer Experts Unite to Hunt Worm
The New York Times
John Markoff reports how computer security groups are working to combat the effects of Conficker, a malicious software program making headlines around the world. SRI's Malware Threat Center was first
to report a new variant in the Conficker code. Read related articles in the SRI Newsroom.
Surgery without Scars
Stanford Medicine News
Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital, Stanford Hospital and Clinics, and SRI are joining forces to improve pediatric surgical tools through the MISTRAL nonprofit research collaboration. Stanford and Packard surgeons also use Intuitive Surgical's Da Vinci® surgical system, based on technology originally developed at SRI.
Artificial Muscles to Bring Back Wink, Then Smile
Discovery News
Facial expressions are key to human communication. Losing the ability to show and interpret emotions via a smile or a frown is a barrier to social interaction and personal well-being. Now, through new technology developed by SRI and UC Davis, it may be possible to restore one’s ability to wink and smile by implanting an artificial muscle in the temple—a promise to regain facial control for victims of stroke, Mobius Syndrome, or battlefield injuries.
Cold Fusion Is Hot Again
CBS News — 60 Minutes
Cold fusion was hot 20 years ago, then it almost faded into oblivion after being discredited as unrealistic. Today, it may be time to re-evaluate its potential. SRI’s Mike McKubre explained in an April 19th 60 Minutes interview how cold fusion could yield nuclear-grade energy at room temperature on a tabletop. Based on a number of successful, repeated experiments he has conducted, McKubre envisions a clean nuclear battery that could power a car or laptop for years.
NASA Announces California Aeronautics Research Awards
San Jose Business Journal
NASA's Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate awarded contracts to three California-based organizations to conduct research in support of the agency's Aviation Safety Program. Under terms of the contract, SRI will develop formal techniques and tools for software health management, with SRI’s Natarajan Shankar as the principal investigator.
News from SRI Spin-off Ventures
Siri, the Intelligent Software Assistant
A "do engine" rather than a search engine: this is the vision of Siri. The start-up is creating virtual personal assistant software to help users complete tasks online, rather than just collect information. Siri has been selected as an MIT Tech Review Top 10 emerging technology for 2009.
Lightscape Materials to Develop and Market Green-Friendly Products
Light-emitting diode (LED) light bulbs and other phosphor light products will be the focus of Lightscape Materials, a new spin-off of SRI subsidiary, Sarnoff Corporation, that has secured $3 million in Series A funding.
Air France Deploys Nuance-Powered Speech Internationally
Service in six languages is available through Air France's recently launched second phase of a telephone-based travel services portal powered by Nuance Communications, Inc. (NASDAQ: NUAN). Through a single-contact telephone number, passengers can access information about the airline's services through French, English, Spanish, Italian, German, or Portuguese.
Artificial Muscle Releases smartTOUCH™ Actuator for Haptics Display Market
New actuators released by Artificial Muscle, Inc. (AMI) will enable customization and programming of haptics effects and vibratory feedback. As announced at the Consumer Electronics Association (CES) Show in Las Vegas in January, the actuators can be used for products such as medical instruments, handheld multimedia devices, and toys.
Have You Seen It?
Check out our latest robotics video on SRI's YouTube innovation channel. Learn more about robotics at SRI.
Contact Us
For more information on SRI's innovations and how we can help you, contact SRI Digest editor Marty Mallonee at marty.mallonee@sri.com. The SRI Digest welcomes your feedback. Please send suggestions or comments to newsletter@sri.com. Start or discontinue a subscription by sending an email to newsletter@sri.com.
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