FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
September 27, 2005
For more information contact:

Gene Watson, WSSI Project Manager
WSSI program
Cell: 307.760.0456

Alces Technology Inc.
P.O. Box 11180
Jackson, Wyoming 83002
Principal Investigator: Mark C. Peterman
Phone: 307.732.1004

Panamax35
612 Harmony Lane
Cheyenne, Wyoming 82009
Principle Investigator: Eliot Case
Phone: 307.220.7599

Two firms win a total of $10,000 in grants for technology innovation

CHEYENNE – The Wyoming Small Business Innovation Research/Small Business Technology Transfer Initiative (WSSI) awarded $10,000 in research grants to Wyoming firms this week.

These WSSI grants are made possible through a program funded by the Wyoming Business Council and administered through the University of Wyoming Research office.

Alces Technologies of Jackson was awarded $5,000 towards research for a high-resolution light valve array for head mounted displays. They plan to submit a Phase I proposal to the Air Force for a high-resolution light engine to be used in training and simulation head-mounted displays (HMDs). The Air Force is requesting a compact light engine that can generate 6000x3000 pixels at 60 Hz.

Alces Technology has a proprietary light-valve based light engine that can produce resolutions in excess of the Air Force requirements.

Alces will demonstrate the feasibility of using this technology as part of a HMD.
Panamax35 LLC was awarded $5,000 towards research for a shock and vibration mounting system.

To ensure safe operations on naval ships, the Department of Defense plans to instill more stringent shock and vibration mitigation requirements for machinery and electronics on board surface combat vessels. Panamax35 has an innovative, low cost hybrid vibration/shock mitigation system, which has absorption qualities beyond normal passive shock mounts that surpasses existing solutions and will satisfy the newly proposed requirements.

This system utilizes three proven technologies simultaneously for additional benefits: active noise control, remote shock absorption, and standard shock mounts. This technology can be retrofitted to existing shock mount configurations. Its use may save lives by making ships less detectable from recent improved sensitive acoustic detection systems. Other commercial possibilities may improve the ride of standard automobiles and or reduce sound transmission through building structures.

The federal Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs make up the WSSI alliance and provide more than $2 billion annually in Research and Development (R&D) grants and contracts to qualified small businesses.

Eleven federal agencies are required by law to provide these funds by setting aside 2.5 percent of their annual extra-mural R&D budgets for use exclusively by U.S. small businesses for new product R&D. Hence, these programs provide a unique source of start-up and seed capital for small businesses to develop new innovative product concepts.

The SBIR Phase 0 Program helps Wyoming companies develop competitive proposals for the federal SBIR and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs. Under these programs, Wyoming businesses have the potential to receive up to $850,000 in federal funding to develop their ideas into products through a two-stage process. The SBIR Phase 0 program is a project of the Wyoming SBIR/STTR Initiative (WSSI).

The WSSI initiative is funded by the Wyoming Business Council and gives out $120,000 in Phase 0 grants each year.

The mission of the Wyoming Business Council is to facilitate the economic growth of Wyoming. For more information, please visit the Web site at www.wyomingbusiness.org.

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