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Funded research and intellectual property

4D Maker's technical work is funded through competitive federal and state research programs. Intellectual property developed in that work is protected through issued patents and ongoing invention disclosures.

Programmes and protection

Competitive research funding and the intellectual property arising from it.

Federal Programs

Federal SBIR/STTR

Experience executing federal SBIR and STTR research, including service as the prime small-business contractor on STTR work.

State Programs

State of Michigan Funding

Research and development supported by State of Michigan funding programs.

Granted

2 U.S. Patents

Two issued United States patents covering technology developed by the company.

Pending

Multiple Invention Disclosures

Additional inventions documented through internal disclosures as development continues.

Programme work

Representative areas of funded development. Specific technical content, customers, and results are governed by programme and customer agreements.

EXCustomer equipmentEXISTING INTERFACEADAdapter4D MAKER SCOPEMDDevice interfaceSENSING PORTBOLTEDSEALEDADAPTER ENVELOPEEXPLODED VIEW — ADAPTER, CUSTOMER INTERFACE TO DEVICE
Adapter mating a customer interface to a 4D Maker device, shown exploded along its axis.
Prime contractor

STTR Program — Prime Small-Business Contractor

4D Maker serves as the prime small-business contractor on STTR work, holding responsibility for the engineering and commercialization path from prototype hardware through installation at the customer site.

  • Product engineering
  • Adapter development
  • Customer installations
  • System integration
  • Commercialization

Project details available upon request.

ENVIRONMENTAL ENCLOSURESource / detectorINOUTSAMPLE UNDER TESTSTAGE TRAVELCOUPON ARRAYInstrumentEXCITATION / READINControllerSTAGE / SEQUENCECTARRANGEMENT — MATERIAL SAMPLE CHARACTERISATION
Characterisation arrangement for a coupon array. Measurement results are not published.
Materials and process development

Advanced Materials Development

Materials development work spanning formulation, characterization, and the process changes required to move from bench quantities toward repeatable production.

  • Formulation
  • Characterization
  • Process scale-up

Project details available upon request.

SENSING DOMAINPROCESSING DOMAININTERFACE DOMAINSensing elementTRANSDUCERS1Front endBIAS / GUARDS2ConditioningGAIN / FILTERP1ConversionSAMPLINGP2Host linkDIGITAL BUSI1Power inputREGULATIONI2MEASUREMENT PATHCONTROL AND POWERARCHITECTURE — DEVICE SIGNAL PATH
Device architecture, tracing the measurement path from sensing element to host interface.
Device design and integration

Sensor and Energy Device Engineering

Design and build of sensing and energy device hardware, including the readout electronics and packaging needed for use outside the laboratory.

  • Device design
  • Electronics
  • Packaging
  • Field integration

Project details available upon request.

Working with us on a proposal

4D Maker can participate as the small-business partner on federal and state research proposals, including as prime contractor on STTR work.

Teaming

Partnering with universities and research institutions on proposals that need a small-business prime or subcontractor.

Engineering scope

Taking the product engineering, integration, and installation scope within a funded programme.

Transition planning

Planning the path from a funded prototype toward a product that can be manufactured and supported.

Building a proposal that needs a small-business partner?

4D Maker works with industry, research institutions, and government programs to move technology from research into deployment. Tell us what you are trying to build.

Discuss a programme