UTSA chemist awarded $300K by NASA to build lab-on-a-robot prototype
Lab-on-a-robot prototype
Lab-on-a-robot prototype
Share this Story(Nov. 6, 2013) -- UTSA chemistry professor Carlos Garcia, UTSA physics professor Arturo Ayon and HJ Science & Technology Inc. of Santa Clara, Calif., have been awarded more than $300,000 in NASA funding to build the fourth prototype of a "lab-on-a-robot" (LOAR). The Rover-like prototype will be designed to conduct on-site planetary compositional analysis.
Utilizing wireless technology, the current LOAR is able to navigate to a global position location, acquire an air sample, perform the analysis and send the data to a remote station without exposing the analyst to the testing environment.
Additionally it's equipped with a chemical sensor that sits atop a highly integrated mobile platform. The chemical sensor contains a microchip with the capacity to determine the composition of a sample in a few minutes.
"This lab-on-a-robot could lay the groundwork for the next generation of NASA robotic missions by allowing for the analysis of air samples or biological compounds without the threat of danger to a human operator," said Garcia.
Additionally, the LOAR also could be used commercially to monitor environmental pollutants that could pose a threat to human health or the environment. Evaluation of samples on-site would provide real-time data analysis and reduce the time and costs associated with conventional laboratory techniques.
The original prototype built in 2008 was a collaboration between UTSA chemistry professor Carlos Garcia and UTSA physics professor Arturo Ayon in the Micro-ElectroMechanical systems (MEMS) Laboratory. Subsequent prototypes were joint efforts with the University of Sao Paulo, Brazil. A member of that team, Eric Tavares da Costa, will join Garcia's lab to work on the latest LOAR prototype.
The NASA funding will be directed to build the fourth upgraded prototype, using the experience collected during the development of previous versions that were funded through UTSA and the Department of Defense Office of Naval Research.
Events
The Adobe Creative Campus Kickoff will introduce students to Adobe software and how they can use it to both produce professional content for their courses as well as how they can create content for their side hustle. The hour-long session will teach you how to gain FREE access to downloadable software such as Photoshop and Illustrator as well as web-based programs such as Adobe Spark. Want to learn more? Contact William.Schaefer@utsa.edu.
Virtual EventThis event has been revised into a two part event. This event will be held virtually while a follow-up event on-campus will be scheduled sometime after Feb. 6th. Please follow our RowdyLink page for information on the next event.
Virtual EventCome and meet your First-Year Experience (FYE) UPM Peer Mentor! As a first-year student at UTSA, you will be meeting with a peer mentor in your Academic Studies area. Your peer mentor is here to support and guide you academically and socially, as you navigate your first year of college. Your UPM Peer Mentor will be emailing you a unique Zoom link to their UPM Meet & Greet!
Virtual EventThe UTSA Zoom license will provision your UTSA email account with a Higher ED Pro Zoom account that comes with multiple features. Join us as we review these features. including best practices, for using this software for education and think about the best way to use it in, for, and with our digital classrooms.
Virtual EventA restorative justice virtual conversation to process thoughts and emotions as our community continues to navigate the impacts of Covid-19.
Virtual EventJoin us for our Spring 2022 virtual get-together where you can meet the Student Success Team, Faculty, and Peer Mentors in the College for Health, Community and Policy (HCaP). This will be a great opportunity to get connected to the HCaP community and meet other HCaP students. Plus, you get to learn about services offered through the new HCaP Student Success Center.
Virtual EventArt of Wellbeing is back for Roadrunner Days. This months focus is on vision board making, set your vision for the semester by creating a visual representation of your goals.
Recreation Wellness Center, 1.806, Main Campus
