Points Taken: Doing the UDRIght thing

Invention is woven into the fabric of Dayton, Ohio — it’s a tradition, one reinforced daily at the University of Dayton Research Institute. Headquartered in the building wrapped in windows along the Great Miami River, scientists and engineers contribute to a long list of innovations that continue to positively impact the world, from your next pizza delivery to your upcoming airplane ride.

1. Hospital gowns 

During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, health care workers were on the frontlines, exhausting themselves and their resources as they aided droves of people falling ill. When Miami Valley Hospital found itself only a week away from running out of medical gowns, researchers in UDRI’s divisions of structural materials and power and energy jumped into action. They designed and developed specialized material gowns utilizing recently furloughed local auto parts manufacturing employees, quickly distributing them to area hospitals in need.

2. Digital Transformation Center

Described as “the perfect playground for creativity and growth,” UDRI’s Digital Transformation Center is the first of its kind in bringing government, industry and academia together. The center facilitates open collaboration and contains advanced digital tools and specialized electronic environments to further the design, testing and delivery of future Air Force systems.

3. Black box shocks

Dayton is the birthplace of aviation, so it’s no surprise that in 1990 it was also the only certified U.S. source for shock-testing black boxes. A black box is the device in a plane that collects flight data and voice recordings in the cockpit, and in the event of a crash, provides key information on what may have happened. To ensure they remain durable to survive crashes, researchers at UDRI’s Impact Physics Laboratory launch the black boxes into a barrier at 350 mph in a simulated impact. The findings continue to advance the safety and efficiency of aviation, as researchers believe UDRI is still the only U.S. source f or this testing.

4. Hot Pizza Bags

Can you think of a more delicious design? In the 1980s, UDRI scientist Ival Salyer led research that developed phase-change materials. These regulate temperature by absorbing heat when melting and releasing heat when freezing. The technology led to the creation of the containers seen carried to your door after ordering delivery from Domino’s Pizza, which bought rights to the tech. Every time you enjoy a warm slice, it’s because of the brains at UDRI.

5. PATCH

When UDRI chemist Bob Kauffman was researching the catastrophic 1996 TWA Flight 800 crash, he discovered that a fraying fuel-sensor wire contributed to the disaster. In turn, he developed Power Activated Technology for Conductor Healing, or PATCH. The polymeric solution allows electrical wires to “self-heal” when they are cracked or damaged and exposed to the environment, therefore preventing similar aircraft tragedies.

6. Three-stage light-gas gun

Ever thought about blasting space junk? UDRI has. With their three-stage light-gas gun in UDRI’s hypervelocity impact facility, small projectiles are fired at spacecraft structures, simulating possible space debris. In testing, the impact physics group broke the 10 kilometers-per-second-barrier with the three-stage light-gas gun, believed to be one of the fastest light-gas guns in the world.

7. Aircraft wheel chocks 

Wheel chocks, or the blocks that go behind the wheels of an aircraft while it sits on the tarmac, prevent the plane from rolling away. But what happens if the chocks are blown away by wind? To remedy this, the Air Force started using a new design from UDRI engineers for their fighter aircraft. Unlike the traditional wheel chocks made of wood or plastic, these polyurethane chocks have a honeycomb design that makes them lighter and crush-resistant. In rainy conditions, the design maintains friction and keeps aircraft in place.

PHOTOGRAPH (TOP) BY HARD ROAD PICTURES

A version of this article appears in print in the Autumn 2025 University of Dayton Magazine, Page 17.  EXPLORE THE ISSUE — MORE ONLINE