A Purdue innovation that could help thwart terrorist attacks from radiological “dirty bombs” and nuclear weapons by tracking potential attacks through smartphones and other devices has been licensed to a Marrero, Louisiana-based startup.
FORSUGO Hi-Cell Inc. founder and president Ron Jones said he licensed the technology because it is an important tool in protecting society and holds strong commercialization potential.
“People around the globe are concerned about terrorism, and this technology promises to be one of the strongest preventative weapons we can use to protect ourselves,” Jones said.
The technology also can be retrofitted to identify chemicals and biological contaminants should they appear in unusual amounts in a particular environment or whose concentration exceeds what would be found naturally in an environment. The company will verify, by research, this application and use of the technology.
“When an alert occurs a signal is sent to local, state and federal law enforcement or Homeland Security officials so they can appropriately respond,” Jones said. “The technology can be embedded in traffic signals and street lights, law enforcement vehicles, air and maritime ports and many other applications. For example, someone walking through an area with a backpack-size nuclear device could set off detectors in smartphones or other electronic equipment, and officials could use the GPS data to identify the approximate location and threat of the device.
“The response procedure for alerting officials about the presence of chemical or biological dangers can be implemented in the same manner as radiological dangers.”
The technology was licensed through the Purdue Office of Technology Commercialization. FORSUGO Hi-Cell is one of 24 startups based on Purdue intellectual property that were launched in the 2014 fiscal year.
For information on other Purdue intellectual property ready for licensing and commercialization, visit www.otc-prf.org. For more information about available leadership positions, investing in a Purdue startup or licensing a Purdue innovation, visit www.purduefoundry.com.
