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Doctor Andreas von Flotow, a former Associate Professor in Astronautics and Aeronautics at MIT founded Hood Technology Corporation in 1993. HoodTech is an established group of mechanical, electrical and computer technologists, including Dr. Mathieu Mercadal (MIT, Dassault Aviation), and Mike Drumm (ExSell Inc., & Test Devices). The company's major expertise is in dynamics and controls, electronic design and mechanical design, testing and experimental procedures, and data acquisition. Down from a peak of about 75%, only about 15% of the company's business is currently from SBIR contracts.
Over 20 patents have been issued to HoodTech, and the firm has an excellent track record as a team leader on large projects with Barry Controls, NAVAIR, DARPA, Pratt & Whitney, General Electric, Williams International, USAF Propulsion Directorate, the Naval Postgraduate School, Rolls-Royce and others.
Hood Technology is a member of the Integrated High Performance Turbine Engine Technology (IHPTET) program and, more recently, the Versatile Affordable Advanced Turbine Engines (VAATE), principally as a supplier of Non-Intrusive Stress Measurement Systems (NSMS) to the turbo-machinery community.
HoodTech has developed a few technologies under the assistance of the SBIR program. In the mid-1990's, the company developed a vibration suppression device intended for use on military aircraft. The technology, the Adaptive Tune Mass Absorbers, minimizes propeller wash on turbo-prop fuselage to eliminate vibration and also "balance" engine excitation in twinjets with aft-mounted engines.
Since 1999, Hood Tech has developed a turbomachinery blade-tip sensing system and has provided it to dozens of engine tests.
More recently HoodTech has developed and supplied over 200 miniaturized camera payloads and 15 launchers to the Insitu Group and other customers for use with miniature unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).
HoodTech has seen a number of its technologies employed by the Department of Defense. The vibration suppression device is currently in use on the entire AFSOC fleet of MH53 helicopters in the Middle East. HoodTech notes that the technology is superior due to its zero power requirements, zero wiring, and no scheduled maintenance. Further, the cameras and launchers developed and built by HoodTech for Boeing's ScanEagle UAV are currently deployed in Iraq for the U.S. military.
Dr. Andy Von Flotow
1750 Country Club Road
Hood River, Oregon 97031
Phone: (541) 387-2288
Website: www.hoodtech.com