Life-Impacting Innovations from Huskers

As a tier-one research institution — and one of the top academic institutions worldwide in earning U.S. patents — the work of Husker faculty touches every corner of the state and beyond. Check out a handful of life-impacting research and innovations from Dear Old Nebraska U.

Fighting Wildfires

As fire seasons stretch longer and blazes burn hotter, a University of Nebraska–Lincoln startup company is using drones to fight fire with fire and keep people out of harm’s way. Headed by Husker faculty member Carrick Detweiler, Drone Amplified has developed Ignis, a drone that can drop and ignite chemical spheres the size of ping-pong balls — intentionally sparking small fires that burn vegetation and starve incoming wildfires of potential fuel.

“It’s normally too dangerous to fly at night over a fire, but with this drone, there’s no possible risk to human life. It provides situational awareness at night to safely fly and ignite burns, which really gives ground crews an advantage during the daytime.”

Tracking Livestock Health

Livestock producers face a recurring challenge: watching animal behavior for signs of illness or injury. A Nebraska team has developed precision technology to help producers continuously monitor animals and use the resulting data to improve animal wellbeing. The system processes video footage from livestock facilities, identifying individual pigs and providing data about their daily activities, such as eating, drinking and movement. And because the technology tracks data over time, it makes it easier for producers to identify a problem before it gets too big to fix.

Protecting Motorists

Before the introduction of this Husker-made innovation, drivers and spectators at high-speed race tracks were separated by a concrete wall. Enter the SAFER (Steel And Foam Energy Reduction) Barrier. Developed at the university’s Midwest Roadside Safety Facility (MRSF), it absorbs energy and helps protect drivers, and is now used at NASCAR and IndyCar tracks across the country. MRSF is expanding that life-saving innovation with work into portable, expandable barriers and new roadside barriers that offer greater protection for motorists and construction workers. Recently, MRSF has turned its attention to the safety and military defense questions raised by the growing number of electric vehicles on roadways.

Improving Childhood Outcomes

Through a variety of programs, Dr. Lisa Knoche and other Nebraska researchers discover strategies that strengthen families, schools and communities. Thanks to a recent $1.6 million grant, Huskers are supporting families with infants and toddlers with disabilities by coaching early intervention service providers in communities throughout the state.

“We have the ability to impact the work professionals do with families to ultimately improve outcomes for children and families. The outcomes — and the impact it can have — is the primary goal.”

Advancing Ag Robot Research

Santosh Pitla, associate professor of biological systems engineering, has been working to advance autonomous robots since he joined the faculty in 2014. He and his team are working to use these robots — unmanned Ground Vehicles — to refill seeds, chemicals and fertilizers automatically. He can see a time when the UGVs could plant seeds, apply fertilizers and detect soil conditions. A grant from the USDA could bring these robots a step closer to reality.

Keeping Farmers Safe

As engineering undergraduates, Ben Johnson and Zane Zents came up with an idea that could save the lives of farmers like Ben’s father. They began work on what would become the Grain Weevil, a robot for grain bins that uses augers and gravity to level grain and redistribute it throughout the bin. It is easy to transport and if it is accidentally buried, it can dig itself out from feet below the surface— and most importantly, it eliminates the need for farmers to enter grain bins, which can be dangerous and even fatal.

“We’re trying to keep farmers safe. We’re trying to keep our neighbors — our communities — from getting hurt.”

Developing Freeze-Tolerant Crops

For some plants, below-zero temperatures trigger a cascade of lethal damage, from cell dehydration to irreversible membrane damage. But other plants can bounce back from the cold. But Nebraska’s Rebecca Roston (center) is working with fellow Husker researchers to better understand why that is with the long-term goal of enabling scientists to engineer freeze-tolerant crops.

Healing Chronic Wounds

Developed at the University of Connecticut and the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, a smart bandage could eventually heal chronic wounds. Using an array of tiny needles, the bandage can deliver therapeutic drugs directly to the still-living but damaged tissue, helping to close wounds, reduce infection, stimulate cell growth and potentially restore blood flow.

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