[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 92 (Wednesday, June 7, 1995)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1167-E1168]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                       HONORING THOMAS E. McEWAN

                                 ______


                            HON. BILL BAKER

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                         Wednesday, June 7, 1995
  Mr. BAKER of California. Mr. Speaker, if anyone wonders about 
America's ability to compete in the world marketplace, they need look 
no further than Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. The Lawrence 
Livermore Lab has been on the leading edge of technology research for 
decades, and is continuing this tradition today.
  Recently, one of the Lawrence Livermore Lab's key researchers 
received a most prestigious award here on Capitol Hill. Thomas E. 
McEwan was given the Distinguished Inventor Award by the Intellectual 
Property Owners organization for his invention of an ultra-band radar 
motion sensor. Called radar on a chip by Popular Science magazine, the 
device fits on a 1.5 inch square circuit board and transmits 
[[Page E1168]] about a million ultra short pulses each second at 
extremely low power levels. The device samples pulses reflected from 
distances of up to 20 feet.
  This remarkable device, which can be run on a pair of AA batteries 
for up to 8 years, is inexpensive to construct and has many practical 
applications. Among those to whom Lawrence Livermore Lab has issued 
licenses, one licensee plans to use the invention on automobiles to 
signal if there are vehicles in a driver's blind spot, which promises 
substantial enhancement of roadway safety. Other possible applications 
include intrusion alarms, instruments for locating wall studs in wood 
and rebar in concrete, light switches, liquid level senors, medical 
monitors and, safety shutoff valves.
  Thomas McEwan's invention is critical to America's technology future. 
He deserves high praise and credit for his superlative work, and for 
his reminder that the initiative and creativity that have helped make 
America the land of economic promise are alive and well. It is a 
pleasure for me to commend him and thank him for his most important 
work.


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