Free Ideas: These NASA Patents Are So Crazy They Just Might Work (For Startups)

When NASA put out the word this month that it was offering more than 1,200 of its patented technologies to startups for no money down, the spotlight naturally fell on the farthest-out ideas – for example, a collapsible airplane suitable for sending to Mars , or solar sails for interplanetary flights.

But the real point of the exercise is to make it easier to convert NASA's out-of-this-world ideas into profitable innovations on Earth. NASA is willing to waive the patent licensing fees for the first three years of commercialization, but will take a standard net royalty fee once businesses start selling commercial products.

The resulting products might well have nothing to do with outer space. Here are seven patented ideas that may sound crazy but could work for the right kind of startup:

Drones that glide like birds: If you build a better drone, will the world beat a path to your door? NASA's Armstrong Flight Research Center developed a guidance and control system for unmanned aerial vehicles that detects and takes advantage of thermals,  the buoyant plumes of air that birds use to keep aloft without having to flap their wings. NASA says the system can extend the flight time of a typical UAV by up to 12 hours – which addresses one of the biggest limiting factors for commercial drones.

Beach blanket wi-fi: Engineers at NASA's Johnson Space Center invented a portable communications signal booster for lunar missions, but the technology can be adapted to boost signal strength for wi-fi or cellular reception right here on Earth. The low-cost, lightweight device can be built into foldable patch of fabric, a beach umbrella or a window shade. No power plugs, cables or batteries needed.

USB drives that plug into USB drives: The folks at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center patented a technology for tweaking a USB thumb drive so you can plug in yet another USB drive (or other type of memory device), daisy-chain style. The double-headed arrangement lets you easily increase your computer's memory capacity on the fly, and at the same time makes it easier to find the data you're looking for across multiple flash drives.

Solar-powered refrigerators: Keeping vaccines, biological samples and other essentials cold is a huge challenge for the International Space Station, but also for tropical regions where electricity is in short supply. NASA's patented technology for solar-powered refrigerators has been applied to the earthly challenges for more than a decade.  Now it's being offered for commercialization without up-front fees. The battery-free system stores energy using a compressor and thermal reservoir. Keeping things cold year-round with the power of the sun? How deliciously ironic!

Portable brain scanner: Brain-imaging technologies such as magnetic resonance imaging and positron emission tomography (a.k.a. MRIs and PET scans) have revolutionized neuroscience – but such scanners are too bulky to monitor brain function during typical real-world tasks. NASA's functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) cognitive brain monitor uses sensors worn on the head to track blood levels in the brain. NASA says the device could check the cognitive state of airline pilots, train engineers and construction workers as they perform safety-critical duties – which sounds awesome and a little bit scary.

Antigravity simulator: Johnson Space Center uses its patented Active Response Gravity Offload System, or ARGOS, to give astronauts and other test subjects a feel for simulated weightlessness while they practice outer-space tasks. But ARGOS could be adapted for a new kind of thrill ride as well. Imagine being suspended in a harness from a crane system that senses your movements – for example, walking or jumping – and then translates them into automated tugs that make you feel as if you were moving in Martian, lunar or zero gravity. I'd be up for that ride. Would you? NASA says the technology could also be used for physical therapy or situations where workers have to manipulate heavy objects.

Biofeedback golf: Why on earth did NASA's Langley Research Center patent a biofeedback system for golf putting? It's part of an effort to encourage optimal concentration by connecting physiological changes with physical changes in the environment. For example, when a golfer gets his or her mind right to sink a putt, the resulting brain waves trigger the hole on the green to open wider. Think of what this could mean for miniature golf courses. ... NASA says the same principle could be applied to other sports, ranging from football and basketball to video games and marksmanship. On a more serious note, NASA's patented method for Zeroing Out Negative Effects, or ZONE, could be applied to military training as well.