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A novel seatbelt system has been developed that can be installed independent of the existing bus seats that did not have seatbelts. The invention can be adaptable for inter-city buses (coaches), as well as mid-sized buses and school buses.  Most other seatbelt systems apply only to a specific seat design whereas this invention facilitates a seamless transition for the different seat configurations of the intended buses.  Based on the design and condition of the sets, the strength of the support can be uniquely designed and customized to support the seatbelt design, while maintaining the integrity of the existing bus frame structure.  Thus, this seatbelt system can be expected to be universal and economical.

Neuromorphic computing, systems designed to mimic the biological nervous system, require far less power than current computer processors. The increased efficiency makes feasible artificial intelligence applications for smaller, hand-held devices (e.g. smartphones, tablets).  To this end, UMass inventors have designed hardware components that mimic neuronal synapses (Figure A). Specifically, diffusive Ag-in-oxide memristors show a temporal response during and after stimulation similar to that of a biological synapse. The novel diffusive memristor and its synapse-like dynamics enable a direct emulation of both short- and long-term plasticity of biological synapses and represent a major advancement in a hardware implementation for neuromorphic computing.

This invention provides polymer-coated supercapacitors for energy storage applications.

This invention provides structurally well-defined, three-dimensional bone tissue grafts produced from stacked demineralized bone paper (DBP), methods for treating a subject using such bone tissue grafts, methods for making DBP, and in vitro assay systems and methods for assaying the effect of an agent on bone development or health.

New compositions of matter have been invented, specifically organic buffer layer materials that can greatly enhance power conversion efficiency (PCE) of organic photovoltaic (OPV) devices and can effectively functionalize metal electrodes. Conventional-architecture OPV devices made using the new buffer layer have average PCEs greater than 8%, with the highest PCE value exceeding 9.5%. This new buffer layer can be used with Ag, Cu, and Au cathodes, opening routes to all-solution-based device fabrication and roll-to-roll processing. In addition, the new buffer layer materials can be applied at a layer thickness of up to 55 nm, avoiding processing challenges that occur with ultrathin buffer layers and enabling a simplified and reproducible process for device fabrication.

Buildings consume 40% of energy in the United States, and influence greenhouse gas emissions. Given the high energy usage and inefficiencies found in conventional HVAC systems, new heating and cooling sources are needed to reduce buildings’ carbon footprint. Moreover, integration of different building systems, particularly building envelope and HVAC, are essential for high-performance buildings.

 

Here, the inventors have conceived and demonstrated the thermoelectric facade, a novel facade system that integrates active and conventional thermoelectric (TE) modules for cooling, heating and energy generation. TE modules generate heat or cooling when electricity is applied, exploiting the Peltier effect, and produce a voltage when exposed to a temperature gradient, utilizing the Seebeck effect. Coupled with heat sinks, conductive materials and an electronic controller, the TE modules are employed in the facade system to heat or cool interior spaces of buildings, providing highly efficient and localized thermal management without requiring ducting, piping, or other large installations commonly associated with forced-air systems. In addition, thermoelectric facades can take advantage of temperature differences between interior and exterior to generate electricity at those times when active heating or cooling is not in use.

 

This novel, intelligent facade system can be integrated into various facade types, regardless of the building function. Its modularity allows for easy installation into façade assemblies of the existing buildings, increasing the overall energy performance of the building. Additionally, they can be used in the design and construction of new buildings with various types of building envelope, including curtain walls, rainscreen facades with aluminum cladding, opaque facades with window and vertical shading, and/or opaque facades with window and horizontal shading.

This invention provides miniaturized and portable biosensing devices that employ novel spectrally-filtered photodiode pairs and on-chip ratiometric sensing. The biosensing devices allow for rapid, high-precision detection of biomolecules of interest, and can be used for point-of-care and therapeutic screening applications.