[Technology Opportunities: PHYSICAL SCIENCES]

> Adaptive Wireless Modems for Multimedia Data
Researchers at Queen's have developed a wireless adaptive modem with increased reliability and power efficiency that addresses the redundancy in the form of non-uniformity inherent in multimedia sources (both uncompressed and compressed).

> Attentive User Interface

"Attentive user interfaces" optimize the allocation of the attentive resources of users and systems; they enable devices that don't bug you when you're busy.

> Barium Strontium Titanate (BST) Sol Gel Process and Applications

A novel low-temperature BST sol-gel composite incorporating hydrothermal treatment , giving rise to a unique microstructure with few barriers.

> Clathrate Hydrate Formation and Reformation
Antifreeze proteins have been found to inhibit hydrate formation, not only showing greater activity than a commercial kinetic inhibitor, but also preventing their reformation by eliminating the so-called "memory effect".

> Compounds for Doping Liquid Crystal Hosts
New type of chiral photochromic compound which causes polarization modulation in the visible range without concomitant destabilization of the liquid crystal phase by transverse dipole modulation.

> DC-to-DC Converters
Isolated and non-isolated designs particularly suitable to low voltage central processing unit applications.

> Directly Measuring the Phase Change of an Optical Signal
Method and apparatus for directly measuring the optical phase transfer function of a device as a function of an external signal applied to the device

> Diversity Coding Method for MIMO-OFDM

A novel coding method for multiple input, multiple output (MIMO) antenna systems with orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM), or diversity-coded MIMO-OFDM.

> Efficient Power Conversion - The Resonant Gate Drive

A cost effective, energy efficient scheme suitable for use in next generation switching power supplies that not only recovers gate drive energy, but significantly reduces switching time, and associated loss by providing a constant gate charge/discharge current.

> Enhanced Plant Growth
Plant growth is enhanced 10-30% using soil activated by a natural substance, which seems to enhance plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPRs).

> Gold Recovery

A novel process for the recovery of gold from thiosulfate leaching solution. The process is suitable to either pre-existing or green-field industrial thiosulfate leaching processes.

> Grooveless Ultrasonic Array

Grooveless ultrasonic transducer array for non-destructive imaging and inspection of materials, suitable for applications such as bio-medical imaging. The grooveless transducer design simplifies transducer construction and permits very high operating frequencies, and hence very high resolution.

> Lift Assist Device

Wearable device that enables workers with low back disability to safely begin the return-to-work process sooner, thus reducing the costs of short term and long term disability.

> Method and Apparatus for Welding Reinforced Polymers
Vibration welding technique that significantly enhances weld strength.

> Multi-Channel Nanoelectrospray (MCN) Emitters

A novel multi-channel nanoelectrospray (MCN) emitter which uses a microstructured silica fiber as a “shower head” to split the fluidic flow, thereby enhancing sensitivity and increasing emitter robustness.

> Novel compounds for Organic Light Emitting Devices (OLEDs)

• Compounds Exhibiting Blue Luminescence:

Novel organic compounds that exhibit intense blue luminescence, with applications in thin film electroluminescent display panels for flat panel displays and backlighting products, as well as in lighting, security and consumer products.

• Compounds Exhibiting Luminescent and Electron Transport Layer Properties.

> Organophosphate Breakdown

Catalytic method to degrade phosphorous-based compounds such as pesticides (e.g. paraoxon); and chemical warfare agents (sarin, soman, tabun, VX-agents). Process is fast, occurs at room temperature, and produces non-toxic products.

> Ringdown, Method of Characterizing Optical Fibres

Absorption spectroscopic technique of very small sample volumes and may be applied as an absorption detection method in microfluidic devices.

> Switchable Surfactants

Environmentally benign way of creating industrially relevant emulsions and then breaking the emulsion at a desired stage.

>Water Contaminant Sensor for Monitoring PAHs, BTEX, PCBs and Heavy Metals

A novel optical sensor array suited to a variety of applications in environmental monitoring. The combination of chemically selective coatings with fibreoptic sensors will result in a monitoring system that is more robust, cheaper and faster than any existing technology.