On board the first Skylab space station shown here, NASA examined the bodies of astronauts in microgravity. Photo credit: NASA
Space technology developed by and for NASA has made its way into cars and even onto the NASCAR track. Future collaborations with the auto industry and automakers could change the way we get from point A to point B. NASA helped drive the following five auto innovations.
1. NASA standards helped develop comfortable car seats.
Thanks to NASA, fewer drivers may be complaining about uncomfortable seats on the road.
The neutral posture shown here was created from measurements taken by 12 people on board Skylab. Photo credit: NASA
When astronauts were on board the first space station, NASA examined the posture their bodies naturally assume in weightlessness. Initial research and follow-up studies helped design everything from workspaces of the International Space Station to the interior of the Orion spacecraft to comfortable new car seats in vehicles on Earth.
The Nissan Motor Company turned to NASA research as a starting point to develop a new driver’s seat. Like an astronaut, the driver of a car needs to be safe and comfortable to operate the vehicle efficiently over long periods of time.
After years of research in the early 2000s and positive results, the automaker unveiled the NASA-derived seat at Altima 2013. Today the design is in different Nissan models.
2. Spacecraft tire sensors warn drivers of flat tires.
A flat tire can surprise the driver. Thanks to tiny sensors that light up a warning on the dashboard when the tire pressure is switched off, this should happen less these days.
Proper tire pressures were critical to the space shuttle landing safely on Earth, but in the early days of the program there wasn’t a good way to accurately measure pressure in flight. Among other things, the agency built a tire pressure sensor for the space shuttle with NASA.
The technology converts pressure into electrical resistance and generates real-time values. After the company shipped the device to NASA, it adapted the sensor for cars. Today, US law requires a pressure gauge for every car tire.
The space shuttle Atlantis approaches landing on runway 33 at the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Photo credit: NASA / Tony Gray / Tom Farrar
3. Research funded by NASA has spawned a new application of nanotechnology that repairs engine damage in cars and trucks.
Friction causes wear and tear on spacecraft components – and also on car engines. Lubricants that reduce friction only slow down and minimize this inevitable damage. NASA was interested in materials that could restore damaged parts to mint condition without replacing them, and funded research into the use of nanotechnology.
The aim was to use an existing liquid lubricant to transport nanoparticles to the point of friction in order to fill in tiny cracks or worn areas. Such a lubricant can not only keep the parts in good condition but also extend the life of the systems. Initial research showed that the best material – a type of ceramic – was effective, durable and non-toxic. Qualifying the early stage technology for use in space was not practical, but research and development continued in the private sector. Today tens of thousands of cars and trucks use the formula to keep engine parts in good condition.
Nanoparticles of a car engine lubricant under an electron microscope. The sticky side of the particles forms layers until there is no more friction. Photo credit: TriboTEX
4. NASA technology protects racers from extreme heat and headaches.
Racing drivers are in the hot seat in several ways. The temperatures in the cockpit of a stock car can rise to an estimated 160 degrees Fahrenheit. This extreme heat comes through the engine firewall, transmission tunnel, and floor.
Based on materials used to protect the space shuttle from the temperatures encountered when the vehicle bounced back into the atmosphere (and temperatures as high as 3,000 degrees Fahrenheit), a company developed overhead insulation kits to protect racers from excessive heat exposure.
Another by-product of racing is combustion fumes, which can cause headaches, nausea, and dizziness. Race engineers adapted NASA space technology to create a filter that removes 99% of all airborne particles. The filter supplies the driver with fresh, clean air.
Astronaut Andrew Feustel watched cars at Daytona International Speedway in 2008. Photo credit: NASA
5. Space technologies could help self-driving cars navigate the streets.
Just like robotic moon lander and Mars Rovers need “eyes” to guide safely through the rocks and crevices of unfamiliar terrain. An autonomous car must safely overcome unforeseen obstacles.
NASA’s space technologies – lasers to land on the moon and artificial intelligence to navigate other worlds – are helping to make self-driving cars safer on earth. The systems could revolutionize the way cars are navigated in rush hour traffic and avoid collisions.
NASA funded research by Boston-based Neurala on deep space computing. The software has other uses on earth. This screenshot shows the view of a self-driving car when powered by the company’s software. The car can automatically identify pedestrians, cyclists, trucks and more on a road in real time. Image credit: Neurala
NASA has a long history of technology transfer to the private sector. The agency’s spin-off release highlights NASA technologies that have turned into commercial products and services, and highlights the broader benefits of America’s investment in the space program. Spinoff is a publication of the technology transfer program in NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate.
