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THE COMPANY’S GOAL IS TO DESIGN A MEDICAL BATTERY FOR COCHLEAR IMPLANTS THAT WOULD BE SAFE AND LONG-LASTING.

Johnson has conducted extensive customer research and developed a business plan targeting the estimated 50 million gamers with physical disabilities that allowed them to only use one hand—while at the same time exploring other applications such as underwater drones.

MICHAEL MOLINSKI IDEATION STUDIO

CHARLES JOHNSON

Michael Molinski has used Ideation Studio to create novel battery technology for his company Audiance. Instead of using liquid to hold a charge like most batteries, his design uses a gel polymer. “That enables our batteries to display unique safety characteristics, such as non-flammability and benign failure mechanisms in the event of penetration or short-circuiting,” says Molinski, who graduated with an MBA from URI last year. Ultimately, the company’s goal is to design a medical battery for cochlear implants that would be safe and long-lasting enough so the battery could be implanted under the skin. In the meantime, he says, it could be used for many undersea applications as well because it could perform in environments with extreme pressure, temperature, and salinity. “For the ocean, in remote-operated vehicle applications or deep-sea explorations, the ability to venture further is often hampered by the need to be tethered to surface ships or recharge batteries with limited lifespans,” Molinski says. “For these use cases, our battery could be a viable solution.”

Founder and CEO NHUAD Controllers

Charles Johnson was playing video games with his cousin, when he had a revelation. “A few years ago I was playing video games with my cousin who was born with one arm,” Johnson says. “I noticed it was a challenge for him to perform certain moves while playing a game of Madden. Noticing his troubles, I asked him why he doesn’t buy a single hand video game controller, he stated that he has looked for them but there aren’t any good ones out on the market.” CHARLES JOHNSON NHUAD CONTROLLERS

Sure enough, when he investigated, Johnson found that the current single-hand controllers on the market are both extremely expensive and lack the functionality of a two-handed controller. His company, Nhuad Controllers, looks to change that, by designing a cheaper and more functional controller. Johnson has conducted extensive customer research and developed a business plan targeting the estimated 50 million gamers with physical disabilities that required them to only use one hand—while at the same time exploring other applications such as underwater drones. As a member of Patents2Products, he is eyeing a January 2024 launch date for his product.

MICHAEL MOLINSKI B.S. Chemical Engineering ’19, MBA ’23 Head of R&D, AUDIANCE INC

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