Science On a Sphere® (SOS) is a room sized, global display system that uses computers and video projectors to display planetary data onto a six foot diameter sphere, analogous to a giant animated globe. Researchers at NOAA developed Science On a Sphere® as an educational tool to help illustrate Earth System science to people of all ages. Animated images of atmospheric storms, climate change, and ocean temperature can be shown on the sphere, which is used to explain what are sometimes complex environmental processes, in a way that is simultaneously intuitive and captivating.

NOAA is now seeking manufacturers/licensees to deliver its newly-patented Imaging Polar Nephelometer to market in the United States and globally.  Ideal partners will have a proven track record in manufacturing quality scientific instruments domestically and a proven distribution network both in the U.S. and abroad. 

NOAA offers a wide variety of licensing solutions with flexible terms and reasonable rates.  Our licensing process is fast-tracked to allow licensee(s) to move the product from license to manufacture to market in the shortest possible time.

Engineers at NOAA’s National Data Buoy Center have developed a patent-pending data collection and reporting system, the Smart Module for Communications Processing and Interface,  for use on data buoys or similar ocean- or land-based platforms where environmental data are being collected.  The benefit of the Smart Module design is that it may be readily retrofitted to a data buoy, weather station, or other similar applications, in order to add additional data acquisition capabilities or features, without disturbing existing communications and data logging equipment at the location.  This saves both time and money for testing and certifying new equipment at existing data gathering sites, some of which may be quite remote and difficult to access. By eliminating the risk of compromising an entire system by adding new components, the Smart Module makes adding new capabilities to existing platforms relatively simple and extremely cost effective.