Cooperative Agreement 2112363

This $256,000 National Science Foundation SBIR Phase I Project Grant will support the development of a haptic glove for real-time speech comprehension by Subtle Technology LLC. The glove aims to convert auditory speech into information perceivable through the skin as a potential supplement to existing techniques like lip reading for the over 466 million people worldwide with hearing loss. Key objectives include developing an intuitive touch-based language representation of words and a...

This $550,000 Project Grant award from the National Science Foundation (NSF) under the Technology, Innovation, and Partnerships (CFDA 47.084) program supports research to develop a novel power electronics architecture for high-voltage, low-power tactile feedback systems. The project aims to design and fabricate a custom integrated circuit and assembled platform that uses high energy density switched capacitor-based switching amplifiers to efficiently provide and recover reactive drive energy....

Federal Grant Award Summary Afference Inc. received a $305,000 Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I award from the National Science Foundation (NSF) Technology, Innovation, and Partnerships (TIP) program (CFDA 47.084) effective July 15, 2025, with completion targeted for June 30, 2026. The company is developing neural haptics technology—a novel wearable interface solution that uses peripheral nerve stimulation to create artificial sensations of touch in consumer electronics. This...

This $549,195 Project Grant, awarded April 1, 2025, by the National Science Foundation (NSF) Division of Chemical, Bioengineering, Environmental, and Transport Systems under the Engineering program (CFDA 47.041), supports the development of a minimally invasive implantable optical tactile sensor designed to restore somatosensory feedback for patients with paralysis from stroke or spinal cord injury. The University of Pennsylvania will deliver an implantable wireless device that uses...

Federal Grant Award Summary Fluid Reality Incorporated received a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I award of $304,991 from the National Science Foundation (NSF) under the Technology, Innovation, and Partnerships (TIP) program (CFDA 47.084), effective July 15, 2025, with completion targeted for March 31, 2026. The award supports development of compact haptic actuators utilizing electroosmotic pump technology to enable tactile feedback in extended reality (XR) applications. The...

This $275,000 SBIR Phase I Project Grant awarded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) under the NSF Technology, Innovation, and Partnerships (CFDA 47.084) program supports the development of a wearable multimodal sensing device by Skywalk Inc., a for-profit Asian-Pacific American-owned manufacturer. The device aims to enable more intuitive interaction with augmented reality (AR) technologies by turning human hands into cursors, turning any surface into a touchscreen, and unlocking new...

This Project Grant award from the National Science Foundation's (NSF) Engineering program (CFDA 47.041) provides $212,026 to Elizabethtown College to develop non-invasive, natural and intuitive electrocutaneous stimuli for bionic limbs. The goal is to create artificial touch sensations that feel natural and are easy to use for people with prosthetic arms, addressing a key challenge that causes many amputees to stop using their devices. The project aims to overcome limitations of current...

This $750,000 Project Grant from the National Science Foundation's Technology, Innovation, and Partnerships program will fund the development of appropriate rehabilitation technology for stroke survivors through passive tactile stimulation. The Leland Stanford Junior University will lead an interdisciplinary team including universities, hospitals, and community organizations to finalize the team composition, generate use cases, and develop a comprehensive research plan including initial...

Summary The University of Michigan received a $605,832 Cooperative Agreement from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke under the Extramural Research Programs in the Neurosciences and Neurological Disorders program (CFDA 93.853), awarded September 15, 2025, with completion targeted for August 31, 2027. The award funds the development and clinical testing of a regenerative peripheral nerve interface (RPNI) control system designed to enable intuitive, multi-articulated...

This National Science Foundation (NSF) Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Phase I project aims to develop a novel prescription process for customizing prosthetic feet based on individual patient characteristics. The $274,975 award, granted on September 15, 2023, will enable the awardee, Little Room Innovations LLC, to create a system that utilizes adjustable prosthetic foot prototypes and optimization algorithms to determine optimal mechanical properties for each patient's customized...