a protective paint used on the statue of
liberty
a tiny laser that unclogs arteries
and for the disabled a vehicle control
system like the lunar rovers
these are just a few of many products
with roots in nasa technology
this eye testing device in use at a
kinder care learning center has recently
been developed by the medical sciences
corporation in wadaway alabama
called the ocular screening system it is
based on technology used by nasa's
marshall space flight center in
huntsville alabama to analyze pictures
like this one of the sun taken during
skylab missions in the early 1970s
ocular screening provides a simple
reliable way to detect eye problems in
young children problems which could be
incurable if not treated early
the pictures produced by the system look
like this a totally red eye is healthy
white crescents or other variations
indicate problems eight to ten percent
of the children tested so far have been
found to have serious eye diseases or
abnormalities according to kinder care
educational specialist jenny folsom
with young children it's virtually
impossible to be able to tell you that
something is wrong but uh this technique
is so innovative in that even our
infants can
focus at the camera and the photograph
will display any defects that are
apparent there with no response from the
child required
and how do the kids feel about the
testing
it's just like you're having your
picture taken
nasa technology is making an impact in
another area as well
more accurately it's absorbing impact
and a new line of running shoes
running's popularity continues to grow
and the constant pounding can be broken
on the legs and feet
to help soften the blow the kangaroo
shoe company headquartered in st louis
missouri has developed a running shoe
that incorporates a nasa material like
one used in moonwalking astronauts
this springy fibrous material is filled
with polyurethane and placed in the
midsole of the shoes
dr joseph hamill assistant professor and
director of biomechanics at the
university of massachusetts amherst
specializes in testing running shoes
according to dr hamel dynacoil not only
absorbs shock very well it also helps
control side to side movement
the high speed video system he uses in
his labs helps illustrate this point
when we run our feet don't just hit the
ground and bounce straight back up
they hit roll over from outside to in
then come back up again this is called
pronation
if a foot over-pronates injury can occur
and until now no shoe had ever
controlled this motion so well
what we're always seeking is um new
materials and if nasa has them and they
can be utilized and that's terrific
nasa and industry bringing space
technology down to earth