Brixon Licenses Sensor Technology From ORNL

Brixon Inc. has exclusively licensed a multiparameter sensor technology from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL).

The inventors of the integrated sensor technology: Peter Fuhr, left, Marissa Morales-Rodríguez, and Sterling Rooke. Courtesy of Oak Ridge National Laboratory, U.S. Dept. of Energy.

The integrated platform uses various sensors that measure physical and environmental parameters and respond to standard security applications. By incorporating multiple sensors onto one common platform, the technology forms a network of devices able to connect and exchange data.

Brixon combines physical sensors with artificial intelligence to address the security and reliability of industrial cyberspace through data analytics and sensor technology, with the goal of minimizing the need for human intervention. This emphasis on cyber operations and response potentially reduces costs, misconfigurations, and operational risks. Brixon foresees the integrated platform implemented in the industrial and electric sectors as a means of sensing and measuring remote sites. Applications include inspection of oil rigs, oversight of public water supply safety, and the monitoring of electric utilities, among others.

“This technology provides an extensible infrastructure capable for deployment to many sensor needs within the industrial and electric fields,” said Sterling Rooke, founder of Brixon and co-inventor of the technology. “We plan to continue working with ORNL in the future to further adapt and improve this technology.”

New or existing sensors communicate to a main controller forming a sensor cluster, and they measure parameters like temperature, irradiance, chemicals, and electric grid elements, providing physical and cybersecurity awareness through monitors that can be mounted or used with drones for surveillance. The novel functionality of the platform has a potential for lower-cost, better-performing, and faster sensors than its competitors. The technology features a modular design that is compatible with conventional commercialized and customized sensors.

“There is a shift in technology applicable specifically for utilities and in general for automation, where devices and systems are becoming cyberaware but maintain traditional sensing,” said Peter Fuhr, co-inventor at ORNL’s Unmanned Aerial Systems Research Center. “What Brixon is licensing from ORNL directly addresses this shift. Their access and interactions with a wide variety of organizations involved in this entire cybersecurity realm expands the reach of ORNL’s developed technology, making this the proverbial win-win situation.”