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Spinoff story
Probes Characterize Air and Water Flows over Aircraft, Yachts
A real-world story of NASA technology finding a life beyond the mission.
About this technology
Overview
A new approach to characterizing high-speed turbulence in wind and fluid flows is on track to become the new standard for wind tunnel measurements. Devices for measuring fluid speed are known as anemometers, and Hampton, Virginia-based Tao Systems Inc. first pioneered the constant voltage anemometer under two SBIR contracts with Langley Research Center in 1992, releasing it as a commercial product not long after. Today, the device is finally catching on in the aircraft-design industry and even among yacht builders.