Optimus Prime is more than just a well-recognized name from television and movies; it is a great analogy for NASA technology transfer. NASA is strong on teaching and encouraging future science and technology experts from an early age – a Transformer character makes an excellent teaching tool.
NASA Spinoff technologies are in many consumer products and the agency wants to build awareness of that fact, especially in school-age children. Kids can win an Optimus Prime Transformer trophy as well.
As the story goes, Optimus Prime began in space and transformed itself in order to come to Earth; Optimus Prime goes undetected and helps people while protecting them. Similarly, NASA technologies, though designed for space applications, are often modified and transformed to go into everyday products used on Earth. Many of those products are modified by makers, entrepreneurs, and small businesses that see new uses for them (see the list).
Here are 10 examples of technologies that have made their way into our lives (from the NASA Spinoff website):
There are hundreds of technologies that got their start at NASA. You can search through the database for different categories from consumer to medical to transportation. It is a fascinating collection and the Spinoff effort is essentially an annual report of cool stuff that gets transferred into commercial reality.
The NASA OPTIMUS PRIME Spinoff Video Contest is held each year to teach students about NASA technologies developed for applications in space have been modified for use in many products they may unknowingly use every day to improve their lives here on Earth. Each video submission allows students the opportunity to describe their favorite story from the most current edition of NASA’s annual Spinoff publication.
All of these technologies were first created by NASA to help explore space and improve aviation. NASA is required by law to share its technologies with the public whenever it can. It partners with companies who use NASA technology and knowledge to create products known as spinoffs that make life better for you and many others around the world. In this way, things like rocket engines, satellites, Mars-exploring rovers, space suits, and water purifiers on the International Space Station become part of everyday life on Earth.
Like OPTIMUS PRIME, there’s more to NASA technology than meets the eye.
Resources: Cool timeline of NASA Spinoff Discoveries in PDF format.