The Office for Technology Transfer at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution is committed to amplifying the impact of WHOI innovations through technology advancement and successful licensing. Through strategic collaborations with industry and academic partners - WHOI aims to move technologies from lab to marketplace.

Browse innovative WHOI technologies & licensing opportunities below or contact the Office for Technology Transfer to discuss other opportunities to help transition WHOI technologies to the marketplace.
Technologies Available for licensing
- All
- Aquaculture
- Environmental Technologies
- Ocean Robotics
- Ocean Sensors & Equipment
Dynamic Electric Motor
This technology is a novel Brushless DC (BLDC) motor system. The design is intended to decouple the torque constant from the speed constant in the BLDC motor system. This allows efficient torque and speed to be independent. The system couples two BLDC motors to a single shaft, with the first motor optimized for torque and coupled via a sprag bearing clutch. The second motor is optimized for speed and is directly coupled to the shaft. The outcome is a motor that is efficient over a large operating range
Microplastics Detection & Identification
The Microplastics Sensor differentiates between plastic and non-plastic particles in a liquid sample in a real-time, flow-through microplastics sensor. The sensor can make rapid detections in minutes without the possibility of contaminating the sample and has proven potential for development into a real-time, in-situ, low-cost microplastics sensor
Cosmetic Wax From Microalgae
Alkenone wax is a viable alternative to microcrystalline, ozokerite, jojoba, and candelilla wax, among others. As a result, the wax has potential applications in lipstick, sunscreen, and antiperspirant, among other personal care products, and represents the only known marine-derived cosmetic wax.
AutoBOD-2: In-Line, Real-Time Biological Oxygen Demand Sensor
AutoBOD-2 technology brings reagent-free, real-time BOD measurement and process control capability to the wastewater treatment arena, providing data for control of aeration for optimal digestion.
Improved Marine Profiler
A low-drag, flow-aligning profiler that pivots both horizontally and vertically to orient with the incident current flow to minimize drag. Enabling longer deployment times and significantly improved data acquisition.
CHANOS Marine Carbonate Detection Instrument
The Channelized Optical System (CHANOS) uses a modular design that is capable of making simultaneous spectrophotometric measurements of seawater DIC and pH.
AutoBOD-1 Real-Time Wastewater Biological Oxygen Demand Sensor
AutoBOD-1, a carousel benchtop commercial prototype designed to replace the current EPA mandated 5-day BOD test, has been developed and is currently in proof of concept studies to validate the underlying technology and garner EPA and customer acceptance.