UCR Smartcards — Search • Teach • Build

Spinout U Summary

What: ICCBI turns large buildings into distributed CO₂ scrubbers by reusing existing air-handling and thermal infrastructure (ducts, coils, heat sources/sinks).

Analogy: the building’s “lungs” get a smart filter that captures CO₂ and then “exhales” it for reuse or storage.

Unique: leverages installed HVAC, minimizing footprint and balance-of-plant; heat integration can cut regeneration energy.

Why it matters: campus/facility portfolios can generate measurable, verifiable tons—creating a new decarbonization lever + credit pathway.

Spinout U Summary

What: a diethylenetriamine (DETA)–based biphasic solvent that separates into two liquid layers when it takes up CO₂, letting you regenerate only the CO₂-rich phase.

Analogy: like a salad dressing that splits—so you only “heat the oily layer,” saving energy.

Unique: phase splitting reduces reboiler duty; tunable chemistry for faster kinetics and lower degradation.

Why it matters: lower energy/ton + simpler columns = better economics in retrofit capture.

Spinout U Summary

What: a condensable-solvent wash that removes oils/food residues from cardboard (e.g., pizza boxes) and other fiber streams to unlock higher-value recycling.

Analogy: like a gentle dry-clean cycle where the solvent condenses, lifts grease, then is recovered and reused.

Unique: class-based separation with low residuals potential; closed loop reduces emissions and solvent loss.

Why it matters: upgrades contaminated fiber from “trash” to saleable pulp, improving MRF economics and diversion rates.

Spinout U Summary

1) What it is: a calcium “smart sponge” for CO₂ with Ni dopants that help it recharge.

• Soaks up CO₂ from air/exhaust.
• Regenerates with lower energy; longer cycle life.

Why it matters: cheaper, longer-lasting capture makes circular CO₂ practical.

Spinout U Summary

What: a low-tox way to turn down certain signals that help B-cell lymphomas grow, plus an early-warning screen.

Analogy: like lowering a loud “grow” radio station and adding a warning light.

Unique: focuses on a specific signaling path; designed to pair with screening and SoC.

Why it matters: aims for fewer side effects and earlier action.

Spinout U Summary

What: a robot joint/muscle that bends a lot but can also “lock” to be strong.

Analogy: like a bendy straw that can act like a sturdy stick when needed.

Unique: combines big bending + stiffness + easy mounting.

Why it matters: safer, softer robots that still carry load.

Spinout U Summary

What: a continuous-flow anaerobic digester that turns food scraps, fats, and manures into usable biogas with automated solids management and heat-integration hooks.

Creative analogy: like a cow’s four-stomach assembly line in a stainless box — steady feed in, energy-rich gas out, no stop-start burps.

Why unique:

• Continuous (not batch) for smoother gas output and smaller tanks.
• Self-handling of scum/grit reduces downtime and operator labor.
• Modular skid that couples easily to CHP or pipeline-grade RNG.
• Designed for messy, mixed campus/municipal organics.

Spinout U Summary

What: modular LEAF biofilters that oxidize fugitive methane and capture CO₂ using optimized media & microbial consortia with low energy draw.

Creative analogy: like a living hedge for exhaust — air passes through “leaves” that sip methane/CO₂ and turn them into safer, measurable outputs.

Why unique:

• Passive/low-power units; no high-pressure sorbent beds.
• Field-tunable media & microbes for different sources (barns, digesters, vents).
• Built-in MRV plan for crediting/attestation.

Spinout U Summary

What: PLUS is a long-endurance UAV that uses the powerline corridor as a “highway,” enabling ride-along inspection and opportunistic energy management to extend missions.

Analogy: like a surfer that “catches” the grid—following lines and using waypoints to ride for miles with minimal battery anxiety.

Unique: powerline-aware guidance + docking/loiter behaviors; designed for grid inspection, vegetation monitoring, and fault localization.

Why it matters: reduces helicopter truck-rolls, improves safety, and enables higher inspection cadence for wildfire and outage prevention.

Spinout U Summary

What: a capacitive device using a ferroelectric oxide layer + switch network to convert small temperature differences directly into electrical energy.

Analogy: a “thermal ratchet” that squeezes energy out of gentle temperature swings.

Unique: works in low-grade heat regimes where thermoelectrics underperform; CMOS-friendly stacks possible.

Why it matters: self-powered sensors, wearables, and industrial monitors without battery swaps.

Spinout U Summary

What: printed-ink process for low-cost electrochemical sensors—forming electrodes directly on substrates for scalable arrays.

Analogy: “screen-print your lab electrode” into a disposable cartridge.

Unique: ink chemistries + print parameters tuned for selectivity/response; compatible with roll-to-roll.

Why it matters: cheaper dense sensing for water quality, food safety, and point-of-care diagnostics.

Spinout U Summary

What: additive manufacturing system with multiple toolheads (concrete, thermoplastic, elastomer) to embed ducts, seals, and compliant features into structural prints.

Analogy: “print concrete with built-in gaskets and conduits.”

Unique: multi-material deposition + kinematic coordination; reduces post-processing and assembly steps.

Why it matters: faster installs, fewer trades on site, and improved performance (airtightness, vibration damping).

Spinout U Summary

What: end-user level PWM converter + controls that turn loads and DERs into intelligent, grid-interactive assets.

Analogy: “edge brain” for power—speaks utility on one side and appliances/DERs on the other.

Unique: fast control loops + power quality features; enables microgrid and demand-flex apps without major rewiring.

Why it matters: unlocks grid services, reduces bills, and improves resilience for facilities.

Spinout U Summary

What: calcium-carbonate–filled biodegradable composites engineered to replace commodity plastics with drop-in processing.

Analogy: “mineral-reinforced bioplastic” that runs on standard lines.

Unique: high filler loadings with preserved toughness/processability; tunable end-of-life.

Why it matters: lower resin cost, reduced petro content, improved sustainability claims for packaging & disposables.

Spinout U Summary

What: methods to discover and deploy specific aggregation inhibitors for asphaltenes to prevent pipeline clogging and deposition.

Analogy: anti-clumping “detergents” for heavy crude components.

Unique: targeted inhibitor identification vs generic solvency; adaptable to different crudes.

Why it matters: protects high-mileage networks and reduces pigging/shutdown costs.

Spinout U Summary

What: micro-electrode array global sensing assemblies for real-time monitoring in wastewater systems to boost efficiency & stability.

Analogy: a dense “nose” for water quality, sniffing continuously in-place.

Unique: multi-parameter arrays with rapid response; retrofit-friendly form factors.

Why it matters: fewer upsets, lower energy/chemicals, better compliance and reporting.

Spinout U Summary

What: a novel catalytic wall reactor with built-in heating and dual catalysts enabling millisecond non-oxidative conversion of methane to ethylene + hydrogen.

Analogy: a “flash reactor” that turns methane into high-value olefins before it can over-crack.

Unique: ms-scale conversion with high selectivity; autothermal design aims to offset heat needs.

Why it matters: potential lower-energy ethylene route with H₂ co-product.

Spinout U Summary

What: extracellular vesicle–guided discovery reveals a synergistic microRNA mix with anti-fibrotic, cardioprotective effects.

Analogy: a “playlist” of microRNAs that retrains pro-fibrotic cells.

Unique: combo activity > single miR; EV insights guide selection/ratio.

Why it matters: fibrosis underlies many cardiac pathologies; disease-modifying therapies are scarce.

Spinout U Summary

What: above-ground iron cycling biofilter as an alternative to cesspools/septic systems, improving nutrient removal and water quality.

Analogy: a compact “soil-like” treatment stack you can drop in place.

Unique: modular, serviceable units; island-friendly deployment.

Why it matters: faster upgrades where centralized sewer is impractical.

Spinout U Summary

What: improved biodegradable hydrogel delivering controlled-release insecticide to ants without bait stations.

Analogy: a self-serve “hydration gel” that ants willingly carry home.

Unique: station-free deployment reduces labor/footprint; biodegradable matrix.

Why it matters: lowers cost and environmental impact for invasive ant management.

Spinout U Summary

What: optimized sustainable concretes (incl. geopolymer & waste-based mixes) as alternatives to conventional cement for island construction.

Analogy: “drop-in greener concrete” tuned for local materials and codes.

Unique: systems approach across mix, prefab, and deployment playbooks for island contexts.

Why it matters: cuts embodied carbon and logistics costs; enables rapid resilient builds.

Spinout U Summary

What: a staged methodology to move learners from AI convenience to true competency—scaffolded practices that build critical thinking, problem-solving, and confident AI use.

Analogy: “training wheels for AI” that come off as skills mature.

Unique: explicit progression map + teacher prompts + student self-audit + misuse guards.

Why it matters: turns AI from shortcut to skill-builder; measurable growth in cognition and self-efficacy.

Spinout U Summary

What: automated detection & prevention of attacks on federated learning via novel filters/algorithms to block data tampering and malicious model updates.

Analogy: a “spam filter + firewall” for federated gradients.

Unique: adaptive defenses against poisoning/backdoors/Byzantine behaviors with low overhead.

Why it matters: FL adoption stalls without security; this unlocks regulated and edge-sensitive use cases.

Spinout U Summary

What: direct hydrocarbon fuel cells (ceramic anodes & catalysts) that run on natural gas, propane, or liquid fuels without an external reformer.

Creative analogy: like a tiny power plant that sips fuel lattes — it “digests” hydrocarbons directly instead of pre-chewing them into hydrogen.

Why unique:

• Reformer-free architecture → fewer parts, quicker startup, compact footprint.
• Fuel-flexible (methane → propane → JP-8) with materials tuned against sulfur/coking.
• High efficiency for remote/backup power and flare-gas valorization.