Jeremy Frank, president of the firm, says the $150,000 investment, the second of two such infusions, will help the company market the technology, which has been refined to measure the GPS locations of underwater vehicles. The device solves a basic problem of radar-controlled devices: You cant use radio waves underwater. With the Smart Tether, you can communicate in real time,” says Frank.
KCFs technology includes six sensors embedded in a tether that can be deployed up to 1,000 meters in distance or 1,000 meters depth. It works with the VideoRay underwater camera system for real-time navigation, enabling close-up ship hull inspection, rescue and recovery work, ordnance location, and homeland security operations.
Because of the defense applications of the device, KCF has already received about $1.2 million from the U.S. Navy in SBIR grants. By comparison, says Frank, the Ben Franklin investment is “a drop in the bucket–but its (important).” Unlike the federal grants, the Ben Franklin money can be applied to marketing the device for commercial purposes.
Based in State College, KFC is not affiliated with Penn State, but participates in joint projects with faculty and staff at its Center for Acoustics and Vibration.
Source: Jeremy Frank, KCF Technologies
Writer: Chris OToole