SEACOAST SCIENCE, INC. — Department of Defense SBIR Phase I: A15-060

Description

Seacoast proposes to develop a design for a wearable microdetector system that is tuned specifically for fuel-related pollutants. The system contains sensors modified with conductive graphene, to make lightweight, ultra-sensitive detectors. During the past few years there has been increasing interest in using new technologies for community-based monitoring applications, for example, for pollutants that can harm a large number of people in a specific area. However, thus far no detectors have been developed that meet the price-point to make them acceptable to the average person to carry a chemical sensor with them. Currently available sensor systems are large and expensive, requiring training to operate, or come as kits which require sample preparation and special handling. In either case, wide distribution of chemical detectors is not yet possible. By the end of Phase I, Seacoast will complete a sensor system design, evaluate materials and components, and develop a Phase II test and validation plan. Integrated display and wireless data transmission will allow for centralized logging and chemical exposure tracking, enabling crowd-sourced chemical exposure monitoring.