Date: Apr 15, 2012 Source: MDA (
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Nanoscopic sensors that grew out of MDA-funded research have found their way into products as diverse as electric stoves and wind turbines.
The sensor technology was developed by NVE Corporation (Eden Prairie, MN) and evolved from projects funded by MDA and its predecessor, the Ballistic Missile Defense Organization (BMDO). The work included various SBIR and STTR contracts—including a 2002 Phase II STTR, with the University of Alabama as a partner. Projects focused largely on the development of technologies involving magnetoresistive random access memory (MRAM), an NVE-patented technology using electron spin to store data on an integrated circuit board. MRAM has been the basis of the company's commercial success for more than 20 years.
NVE's sensors can retain data even during loss of power, and in virtually any environment. The devices are used in a wide array of commercial products in the United States and abroad, namely in monitoring the rotation speed of moving parts in electric-stove temperature controls, machine tools, wind turbines, and anti-tamper mechanisms.
Since its early days working on technology development related to missile defense, NVE has grown into a 58-person corporation. The company, now listed on the Nasdaq stock exchange, reports annual revenue around $30 million, with much of its business derived from the manufacture and commercial sale of MRAM-based sensor technologies.
