AITHER Research
 Since 1997, AITHER has been conducting research in the use of fiber Bragg grating sensor technology for marine, aerospace, civil, and industrial applications. This research has led to the development of novel sensor packaging techniques, new Bragg grating wavelength monitoring solutions, and advanced measurement algorithms. Today, AITHER continues to conduct both externally and internally funded research in fiber Bragg gratings to maintain our position as a leader in the application of this technology for sensing solutions.
 Researchers at AITHER have investigated both sensing technologies and diagnostic/ prognostic algorithms for structural health monitoring. Advanced sensing technologies have primarily leveraged AITHER's fiber optic sensing expertise to develop high density and extreme environment sensing systems. Diagnostic and prognostic efforts have focused on the development of algorithms for the detection of damage in aerospace and civil structures.
 Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) provides in situ, real-time characterization of materials in solid, liquid, or gaseous phase through optical means. The LIBS technology allows materials to be analyzed without direct contact with the material and little to no material sample preparation. AITHER is currently developing a health monitoring system for turbine exhaust emissions for the U.S. Air Force and exploring other applications in industrial and environmental monitoring.
 AITHER has more than 7 years of experience in applying advanced electro-mechanical materials to numerous applications in mechanical and aerospace engineering. AITHER’s experience with electro-mechanical materials includes piezoelectrics, ferro-electrics, magnetostrictives, shape memory alloys, and magnetic shape memory alloys for aerodynamic control actuators and magnetorheological (MR) fluids for automotive suspensions and recoil mitigation in medium caliber gun systems.
 AITHER continues to explore new technology areas that may complement AITHER’s business base or lead to the development of new products and markets. In the past, research programs have included lighter-than-air surveillance UAV design, novel autonomous rotor craft landing systems, MEMs-based synthetic jets, and a high-temperature fluidic valve position control system.
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