Skip to main content (Press Enter).
 News
    
        Photos

    Week in Photos

    Air Force TV

    Commentaries

    Features

    Art

    About Us
    
        Air Force Senior Leaders
    
        SECAF

    CSAF

    CMSAF

    Biographies

    Fact Sheets

    SECAF Reading List

    CSAF Leadership Library
    
        CSAF Leadership Library 2022

    CSAF Leadership Library 2021

    CSAF Reading List Pre-2020 Archive
    
        2018 CSAF Reading List

    2017 CSAF Reading List

    2016 CSAF Reading List

    CSAF Leadership Library 2023

    CMSAF Leadership Library

    50 Years of the CMSAF

    Adjunct Professors

    Air Force Strategic Documents

    Arctic Strategy

    Empowered Airmen

    State Licensure Portability

    Careers

    AF Federal Advisory Committees

    AF 75th Anniversary

    Policy Updates

    AF Content Management

    Contact Us

    AF Sites
    
        Site RegistrationU.S. Air Force LogoAir Force

        Policy UpdatesNewsroomReoptimizationBIOGRAPHIESAF Senior Leaders      AFRL Materials and Manufacturing Assistant Chief Engineer, Dr. Larry Brott, displays infrared powder used to form pellets in the creation of infrared technologies for battlefield communication and training. (U.S. Air Force photo/Donna Lindner)AFRL licenses second technology to local firm
                        
                        
                        Dr. Larry Brott, Air Force Research Laboratory Materials and Manufacturing Assistant chief engineer, displays infrared powder used to form pellets in the creation of infrared technologies for battlefield communication and training. (U.S. Air Force photo by Donna Lindner)
                
                Photo Details /
                        Download Hi-Res

AFRL licenses second technology to local firmPublished Aug. 15, 2019
                    
                    By Donna Lindner
                    
                    
                    Air Force Research Laboratory
            **WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio (AFNS) --**A year ago, Dr. Larry Brott of the Air Force Research Laboratory, along with his co-inventors, licensed a technology for a pressure-activated marker that allows troops to communicate with written messages in low or no-light conditions, with or without night vision devices.
This marker, along with a second patent by Brott and his team involving infrared phosphor technology, has recently been licensed to Battle Sight Technologies, which expands to their existing collection of infrared technologies. This technology works similarly to the dials on a watch, absorbing ultraviolet light during the day and emitting an infrared light at night.
This suite of infrared products, such as glow sticks or patches and packs displaying glow-in-the-dark reflective strips, are all used for battlefield communication and training. Additionally, these products are used to identify U.S. military locations to friendly ground forces and aircraft.
Identification is a must when troops are partnering with foreign forces, including uniformed soldiers using civilian trucks.
In March, the Air Force awarded Battle Sight Technologies $165,000 to continue developing products based off the core patches, tapes and molded parts to support low-light/no-light communication.
“Through express tech licensing, it is easy to discover which technologies are available and also learn about pre-negotiated terms and pricing,” said Sunita Chavan, Materials and Manufacturing Technology Transfer Office lead. “There is total transparency. If a company is interested in entering into a licensing agreement, they can complete an easy application.”
“One-stop shopping” is a term Chavan uses to explain express tech licensing. The user-friendly process makes Air Force technologies available to companies of all sizes while eliminating lengthy contract negotiations associated with government patent licensing.
Predetermined upfront fees and royalty fees make the express licensing platform an easy option, according to Chavan.
The next steps include learning how to scale-up the production process. “We are used to making small, lab-scale batches where we can produce 15 crayons per day,” Brott said. “We are getting such interest in this product that we are now being asked to make 200 crayons daily.”
Various “flavors” of crayons are also being requested to match different scenarios. Infrared crayons that leave no trace, and crayons that glow visibly at night while leaving a bright pink pigment mark for daytime viewing are some examples.
These variations are for first responders who might answer to a night-time train wreck. After searching a train car, they would mark it so that it would be visible at night, and also apparent once the sun rises.
“We are working hard to meet a deadline, for a ‘first responder’ convention in October and anticipating a much larger demand for the crayons after the word gets out,” Brott said.USAF 



AF 



Air Force 



Battle Sight Technologies 



patent license 



Air Force Research Laboratory 



AFRL 



no-light conditions 



night vision devices 



infrared light 



reflective strips 



battlefield communication 



materials 



Manufacturing Technology Transfer 



innovation 



LR Featured News
        Senior Leader Priorities
                SecAF, CSAF, CMSAF begin Indo-Pacific trip focused on ACE
                    
                    DAF leaders talk budget, reoptimizing the force
                    
                    DAF leaders speak at National Character and Leadership Symposium
                    
                    DAF members recognized during BEYA STEM awards
                    
                    DAF senior enlisted advisors discuss Airmen, Guardians in the fightInnovation
                F-16s arrive to be modified for autonomous testing
                    
                    AFWERX director discusses role of tech startups, quick innovation in Great Power Competition
                    
                    DAF delivers lethality at the speed of data during Project Convergence Capstone 4
                    
                    DAF welcomes industry partners to HQ development program
                    
                    DAF announces Spark Tank 2024 finalistsMAJCOM News
                Safety enterprise announces new mission, vision, goals in 2024 strategic plan
                    
                    Air Combat Command welcomes new commander
                    
                    USAFE-AFAFRICA commander discusses Integrated Air, Missile Defense during Munich Security Conference
                    
                    Flosi to AFMC family: Embrace change, make every day count
                    
                    AMC rises to increasing global tension
 Quick Links
AccessibilityContact UsEqual OpportunityFOIA | Privacy | Section 508Information QualityInspector GeneralJAG Court-Martial DocketLink DisclaimerNo FEAR ActOpen GovernmentOSI Tip LinePlain LanguageQuestionsResilienceRSSSite MapVeterans Crisis LineCareers
Join the Air ForceAir Force BenefitsAir Force CareersAir Force ReserveAir National GuardCivilian ServiceConnect
            Get Social with Us
            
            Official United States Air Force Website
    Hosted by Defense Media Activity - WEB.mil