Technical Focus

The next revolution in air travel and space exploration is contingent upon our ability to dramatically reduce mass, size, and power consumption while increasing reliability. The key is integration of intelligence and multifunctionality into the varied components of aerospace systems and vehicles. The Institute will advance nano-bio technologies that take form in adaptive, intelligent, shape controllable micro and macro structures, for both advanced aircraft and advanced space systems. Revolutionary materials, structures and subsystems are sought that embody sensing, adaptability, self-monitoring, fault-tolerance, self-healing and autonomy to provide the functionality and intelligence for the needs of future NASA aerospace missions. Recent advances in biomaterials, biotechnology, nano-technology, and information technology provide a basis for optimism that aggressive collaborative and interdisciplinary research in these areas will lead to dramatic progress and new discoveries over the coming decade. The fundamental challenges are to develop new multifunctional materials through nano- and micro-technology and to devise strategies for exploiting these enhanced properties to enable revolutionary structural concepts.

The Institute is advancing emerging nanotechnologies that lead to multifunctional materials with high strength-to-weight ratio, automatic shape control, capable of energy storage, thermal management, sensing, self-healing, and adapting to different environments in an intelligent manner. Four key research thrusts will be emphasized:

1. fabrication of functionalized nanomaterials with high strength-to-weight ratios and self-healing capabilities;
2. design of multifunctional systems at nano, micro, meso and macro levels with appropriate analytical methods developed to bridge the various length scales;
3. synthesis and recycling of biomolecular materials for space applications and development of biological/chemical sensors using nanotechnologies;
4. modeling and control of hierarchical adaptive systems with distributed intelligence at different length scales. The above research thrusts will be integrated from concept to hardware implementation and will provide the backbone for technology demonstration experiments.

UH Engineers are concentrating on two broad research areas:

• Establishing distributed intelligence architectures to improve flight and mechanical performance and safety of future aircraft and spacecraft
• Fabricating new nanomaterials that are stronger and lighter than conventional materials

About the Institute

The Texas Institute for Intelligent Bio-Nano Materials and Structures for Aerospace Vehicles (TiiMS) is one of seven nationwide University Research, Education, and Training Institutes founded in 2002 by NASA Headquarters. The center is based at Texas A&M University. In addition to UH, other institute members include Prairie View A&M University, Rice University, Texas Southern University and the University of Texas at Arlington.