proof of feasibility of the ultrasonic fastener technology, which was later commercialized as the Ultrafast® Intelligent Fastener® technology. This technology utilized a piezoelectric thin-film coating which is applied to every fastener as a finishing operation, to directly measure load in the fastener using an ultrasonic pulse-echo technique. Innovation Plus proved feasibility of Ultrafast technology through initial funding from a Ben Franklin Partnership Innovation Award and a NASA contract with the Marshall Space Flight Center.