Myriad Sensors, Inc. wins $150,000 Small Business grant from National Science Foundation

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. - Dec. 8, 2015 - PRLog -- Myriad Sensors, Inc., the maker of the science educational sensor PocketLab, was awarded a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF).  Myriad Sensors will use the grant to develop new cloud software designed to bring science learning and discovery to people all over the world. The cloud software will allow users to collect, analyze, and collaborate on real-world experimental data.

Imagine a science student in San Francisco using a sensor to measure barometric pressure, transmitting the data wirelessly to an app for visualization, uploading the data to cloud software, then comparing it to similar data sources from other students in cities like Sacramento, New York, London, Singapore, or Rio de Janeiro. The student could analyze the data for patterns using the PocketLab web-based tools or collaborate on global weather research projects with users all over the world.

With the help of the NSF, these are the types of experiments that Myriad Sensors will make possible with its cloud software tool, called the Global Scientific Sensor Network (GSSN).

Myriad Sensors has sold thousands of their first product, PocketLab, since March of last year. PocketLab is a wireless multi-sensor, the size of a matchbox, for engaging in hands-on science learning. Fully loaded with five embedded sensors, PocketLab collects and transmits experimental data in real-time to tablets, smartphones, Chromebooks and PCs. With a splash- and shock-resistant case, PocketLab is designed to collect experimental data in the most rugged conditions. Attach PocketLab to a rocket and measure launch acceleration, put it inside a football and measure the angular velocity of a spiral throw, take it on a long hike and measure changes in altitude—with PocketLab science exploration is endless.

The GSSN will take data collected by devices like PocketLab to the next level. The web-based interface will give students, educators, and hobbyists the tools to analyze experimental sensor data, publish experiments and results, and collaborate on global science projects. The GSSN will be an especially powerful tool in science classrooms. A PocketLab, paired with the GSSN significantly lowers technological barriers for students conducting complex experiments. By introducing students to innovative and interactive lab equipment and engaging them in relevant science concepts, Myriad Sensors is working to help prepare students to solve emerging challenges in aeronautics, physics, connected Internet of Things (IoT), global climate, and other significant research disciplines.

The GSSN will be able to take data from multiple sources. Users can upload collected data using PocketLab and future Myriad Sensors hardware products, or they can upload collected data using sensors made by other companies. The GSSN will also collect and analyze data from large, publically available databases—allowing that student from San Francisco to also compare his or her data with that of the National Weather Service.

The SBIR grant comes on the heels of a recent investment by Intel Capital. As part of the investment from Intel Capital, Myriad Sensors took part in the inaugural Intel Education Accelerator, which they recently completed in December.

John Galvin, VP and General Manager of Intel Education Group said, “We believe [Myriad Sensors has] a very innovative and engaging education product and we look forward to helping them grow. Companies like Myriad Sensors are exactly why we decided to have an accelerator. They are bringing innovation to the classroom and how students can learn science.”

The team at Myriad Sensors is committed to continuing to provide ground breaking products in the ed-tech and maker spaces.