Conferences On Sensing For Agriculture And Robotic Vision Among Expanded Topics At SPIE Defense And Commercial Sensing

http://www.photonicsonline.com/doc/conferences-on-sensing-for-agriculture-and-robotic-vision-0001

Precision agriculture, next-generation robotics among wide range of commercial applications

Practical, new sensing technologies enabling wide-ranging applications such as increasing crop productivity, improving neurosurgery, and delivering groceries by drone will be among topics at SPIE Defense and Commercial Sensing in Baltimore 17-21 April 2016. The event includes technical conferences, an education program, and an exhibition, and is sponsored by SPIE, the international society for optics and photonics.

The long-standing meeting is the largest event for the defense and security community's optics and photonics technology, including infrared cameras, lasers, spectroscopy, 3D imaging, plus terahertz, and multi- and hyperspectral imaging.

This year, conferences are organized into two tracks, Defense and Security, and Commercial and Scientific Sensing and Imaging.

The event's new name for 2016 reflects the growing commercial application of optical technologies initially developed for defense into new applications for commercial products, industrial inspection such as machine vision or quality control, and scientific research capabilities.

Conferences on Sensors for Next-Generation Robotics -- in its third year -- and Autonomous Air and Ground Sensing Systems for Agricultural Optimization and Phenotyping -- new this year -- serve as examples of helping robots "see" and "feel."

The robotics conference will look at next-generation sensors, sensor packaging, and sensor miniaturization. Topics will include both vision-based optical sensors, such as those used in cameras and lidar systems, and direct-contact and pressure sensors, with applications such as in robot "skin," said Dan Popa, of the University of Texas at Arlington who chairs the event with UT Arlington colleague Muthu Wijesundara.

"Applications where new, more intelligent robots are needed cut across all dimensional scales and industrial sectors,"Popa said. "The scope of the conference will include emerging applications in micro- and nanosystems and devices, including for new robotics in commercially viable areas such as home management, healthcare in hospitals and assisted-living facilities, search-and-rescue activities in disaster areas, neural surgery, manufacturing, self-driving vehicles, and delivery drones."

Distributed sensors can be envisioned as enhancing perception, cognition, and control capabilities of next-generation robots, Popa noted. "One exciting next-generation application is endowing humanoid robots with perception capabilities comparable with those of humans, including distributed touch through robotic skin, hearing, and vision, but also super-human perceptions, such as the ability to see in the dark or through objects."

The conference on sensing systems for agricultural optimization and phenotyping is part of a set on industry, environment, and health applications. It will focus on topics such as UAVs (unmanned autonomous vehicles) and spectral imaging devices and cameras for collecting data in research and commercial agricultural settings.

Photonics technologies in agriculture are rapidly emerging as tools to increase food productivity and efficiency, noted chairs John Valasek and Alex Thomasson, both of Texas A&M University.

The world's current population of 7 billion people will increase to 11 billion by 2100, when population growth is predicted to plateau. Meanwhile, land available to agriculture is being reduced by urbanization, road building, and potential climate effects. So, the chairs say, food production per unit area must double in the next 85 years.

Two remedies are available: optimization of crop production through precision agriculture, and crop improvement through breeding and genetics coupled with high-throughput phenotyping. Both require autonomous air and ground sensing systems with an array of photonics technologies.

Conference topics will include:

• Air and ground-based autonomous vehicles for agriculture
• Imaging and non-imaging sensors and agricultural applications
• Theoretical and empirical decision-oriented data-analysis techniques including machine learning.

"The field is in an exciting period of exploration and expansion, as ground- and air-based sensor platforms with highly capable and reliable autonomy now permit highly detailed measurement of plant traits in the field," Thomasson said.

Of particular interest are workflow issues associated with capturing and processing large-volume datasets including multiple data types at various scales, Valasek said. "These would include sensor suites and vehicles that integrate or fuse multiple types of sensors and data (lidar, optical, thermal, spectral, radar, etc), and variable autonomy or re-programmable autonomy for conducting precision agriculture operations."

Other new conferences planned for SPIE Defense and Commercial Sensing 2016 are:

• Tri-Technology Device Refrigeration
• Advanced Optics for Defense Applications: UV through LWIR
• Ultrafast Bandgap Photonics
• Long-Range Imaging
• Anomaly Detection and Imaging with X-rays
• Computational Imaging.

For more information, visit www.spie.org/DCS.

About SPIE
SPIE is the international society for optics and photonics, an educational not-for-profit organization founded in 1955 to advance light-based science and technology. The Society serves nearly 264,000 constituents from approximately 166 countries, offering conferences and their published proceedings, continuing education, books, journals, and the SPIE Digital Library in support of interdisciplinary information exchange, professional networking, and patent precedent. SPIE provided more than $4M in support of education and outreach programs in 2014. SPIE is a Founding Partner of the International Year of Light and Light-based Technologies and a Founding Sponsor of the US National Photonics Initiative. For more information, visit www.spie.org.

SOURCE: SPIE

Photovoltaic Material Measurement Focus of Lake Shore SPIE Conference Exhibit

The Model TTPX is an affordable, entry-level probe station capable of making a wide variety of non-destructive, standard electrical device measurements.

Lake Shore Cryotronics, a leading innovator in solutions for measurement over a wide range of temperature and magnetic field conditions, will be discussing their cryogenic probe stations and terahertz (THz) based materials characterization system at the SPIE Optics + Photonics Exhibition in San Diego, August 11 – 13.

Used to measure electro-optical, magneto-transport, DC, RF or microwave properties, cryogenic probe stations are versatile platforms for studying materials and early-stage devices as a function of temperature and in high magnetic field. Lake Shore probe stations offer a convenient way to reliably measure devices, as well as novel photovoltaic materials, in a tightly controlled environment (at temperatures as low as 1.6 K, depending on the model). Applications include research of optical properties of nanostructured materials as well as semiconductor optoelectronic devices and materials.

A number of probe station versions are available from Lake Shore, including cryogen-free CCR (closed-cycle refrigerator) models, the Model PS-100 station designed for fast delivery and setup, and the Model TTPX, an affordable, entry-level probe station. The Model TTPX will be on display in Lake Shore’s booth at the exhibition.

Also, for those interested in performing high-frequency contact measurements as a function of temperature and field in their probe station, Lake Shore will be discussing their upcoming THz-frequency contact probing arm for cryogenic applications. This unique option will enable precise on-wafer probing of millimeter wave devices and materials at 75 GHz and higher frequencies.

Attendees can also learn about the 8500 Series THz system for materials characterization. The fully integrated, non-contact measurement platform uses THz-frequency energy and a low-temperature, high-field cryostat to measure material spectroscopic responses across a wide range of frequencies, temperatures and field strengths. It is unique because it uses a continuous wave (CW) spectrometer for higher spectral resolution, producing spectral profiles that can reveal interesting phenomena not visible with conventional characterization techniques. These are especially useful in transparent conductive oxide and dielectric material research.

Also at SPIE Optics + Photonics, Lake Shore will answer questions about their: 

•          Precision Hall effect measurement systems, available with AC field Hall option for measuring high-resistivity, low-mobility materials down to 0.001 cm^2/Vs. These systems are ideal for characterizing novel photovoltaic materials.
•         Sensors and instruments for stable, reliable low-temperature measurements.
•         Programmable DC current sources for measuring resistive and semiconductor devices, and for LED brightness testing.

For more information, visit SPIE Optics + Photonics Booth 215 or http://www.lakeshore.com.

About Lake Shore Cryotronics, Inc. 
Supporting advanced research since 1968, Lake Shore Cryotronics is a leading innovator in measurement and control solutions for materials characterization under extreme temperature and magnetic field conditions. High-performance product solutions from Lake Shore include cryogenic temperature sensors and instrumentation, magnetic test and measurement systems, probe stations, and precision materials characterizations systems that explore the electronic and magnetic properties of next-generation materials. Lake Shore serves an international base of research customers at leading university, government, aerospace, and commercial research institutions, and is supported by a global network of sales and service facilities. For more information, visit http://www.lakeshore.com.

SPIE Announces 2015 Award Recipients For Achievements In Optics And Photonics

http://www.photonicsonline.com/doc/spie-announces-award-recipients-achievements-optics-photonics-0001

Gold Medal of the Society goes to University of Pennsylvania professor Nader Engheta

Winners of awards recognizing outstanding technical achievements and service to the society have been announced by SPIE, the international society for optics and photonics. The annual awards program recognizes both individual and team technical accomplishments.

Winners of prestigious annual awards have been announced by the Awards Committee of SPIE, the international society for optics and photonics. The awards recognize outstanding individual and team technical accomplishments and meritorious service to the Society.

Award winners for 2015 are:

Gold Medal of the Society: Nader Engheta, University of Pennsylvania, for his transformative and groundbreaking contributions to optical engineering of metamaterials and nanoscale plasmonics, metamaterial-based optical nano circuits, and biologically-inspired optical imaging. The Gold Medal is the highest honor bestowed by SPIE.

Britton Chance Biomedical Optics Award: Lihong Wang, Washington University in St. Louis, for his pioneering technical contributions and visionary leadership in the development and application of photo-acoustic tomography, photoacoustic microscopy and photon transport modeling.

A.E. Conrady Award: Richard C. Juergens, Raytheon Missile Systems, recognizing him as a leading authority in optical system design, optical component fabrication and testing, and training and mentoring of optical engineers, and instrumental in developing optimization techniques and tolerancing methods for optical designs.

Dennis Gabor Award: Kazuyoshi Itoh, Osaka University, for his eminent contribution to the development of incoherent holography and nonlinear optical microscopy through your pioneering work on coherence-based multispectral and 3D imaging, and nonlinear optical imaging and manipulations of biological and inorganic industrial materials.

George W. Goddard Award: Grady H. Tuell, Georgia Tech Research Institute, recognizing his foundational research and development in bathymetric lidar and data fusion; and his efforts to further advance airborne LIDAR remote sensing in other ways including real-time calculation of total propagated positioning error.

G.G. Stokes Award: Aristide Dogariu, CREOL, University of Central Florida, for his development of new theoretical concepts and innovative methods and techniques for understanding and measuring polarization properties of light-matter interaction.

Chandra S. Vikram Award in Optical Metrology: Guillermo H. Kaufmann, Istituto de Física Rosario (CONICET-UNR) for his contributions to speckle metrology and its applications in material science, experimental mechanics and nondestructive testing, and also for the development of novel fringe analysis methods.

Frits Zernike Award in Microlithography: Ralph R. Dammel, AZ Electronics Materials, for his significant contributions to the development of photoresist, anti-reflective coating, and directed self-assembly materials for semiconductor microlithography.

SPIE Early Career Achievement Award – Academic: Miriam Serena Vitiello, recognizing her outstanding results in research on semiconductor laser sources and electronic high frequency nanodetectors which have opened new frontiers in the Terahertz photonics and optoelectronics fields.

SPIE Early Career Achievement Award – Industry: Alan Lee, LongWave Photonics LLC, recognizing his pioneering research on stand-off distance real-time THz imaging. The locking-in differential imaging proposed in his work formed the basic working principle of several commercial THz imagers/cameras.

SPIE Educator Award: Virendra Mahajan, recognizing his sharing of knowledge in the area of optical imaging, aberrations, and wavefront analysis through his voluntary teaching of students and professionals and the writing of five excellent books.

SPIE Technology Achievement Award: Keith B. Doyle, MIT Lincoln Laboratory, for his outstanding contributions to integrated analysis of optical systems, incorporating in this analysis elements of optical, thermal, and structural engineering.

For future awards, members of the photonics community may nominate colleagues to recognize their outstanding achievements. Nominations may be made through 1 October of any given year and are considered active for three years from the submission date. Instructions and nomination forms are at www.spie.org/x1164.xml.

About SPIE
SPIE is the international society for optics and photonics, a not-for-profit organization founded in 1955 to advance light-based technologies. The Society serves nearly 256,000 constituents from approximately 155 countries, offering conferences, continuing education, books, journals, and a digital library in support of interdisciplinary information exchange, professional networking, and patent precedent. SPIE provided more than $3.4M in support of education and outreach programs in 2014.

SOURCE: SPIE

Advanced Photonixs announces new product line at SPIE Photonics West 2015

http://spie.org/app/exhibitor/details.aspx?expo=SPIE-Photonics-West-2015&name=Advanced-Photonix-Inc.-Camarillo-CA

SPIE Photonics West 10 - 12-February 2015 San Francisco, California, United States

Advanced Photonix Inc.

BOOTH NUMBER: 401  Add to My Schedule View Floor Plan

Address Advanced Photonix Inc. 1240 Avenida Acaso Camarillo, CA United States Website www.advancedphotonix.com  Email Request Information

Company Description

Featured Product: Tunable multispectral LED light source; Custom photodetector assemblies

Advanced Photonix, Inc. (NYSE Amex: API) is a leading supplier of opto-electronic solutions and instrumentation to a global OEM customer base. Our solutions range from Avalanche Photo Diodes (APD) to PIN configurations and silicon Large Area Avalanche Photodiode (LAAPD), PIN photodiodes, tunable LED illumination systems and FILTRODE® detectors.

Product Announcements

22 January 2015 Tunable Multispectral Light Sources

Advanced Photonix is introducing Digital Tunable Multispectral Light sources. Our advanced technology allows precise real-time or preset control of up to 32 channels of LED-based illumination in wavelengths from the UV to the IR. Configurable in both free-space and fiber optic output, API's light sources can precisely create virtually any spectra, including the industry-standard D65 "white". The devices can be controlled via custom software from any computer. Options also include real-time spectral feedback via an integrated spectrometer. Come visit API at booth #401 to see how we can help you with your illumination requirements!

Ondax to showcase terahertz Raman spectroscopy system at SPIE BiOS and SPIE Photonics West 2015

http://www.laserfocusworld.com/articles/2015/01/ondax-to-showcase-terahertz-raman-spectroscopy-system-at-spie-bios-and-spie-photonics-west-2015.html

THz-Raman spectroscopy systems combine chemical detection and structural analysis for forensic and scientific analyses. The newest system in the line is said to significantly reduce autofluorescence without the need for InGaAs detectors that are typically required to measure fluorescent materials. Using a 976 nm excitation source, the system delivers clear low-frequency Stokes and anti-Stokes spectral analysis over a range of ± 5–500 cm^-1 when used with conventional Si detector-based spectrographs.

SPIE-Global photonics market valued at more than $150bn

http://optics.org/news/5/9/24

SPIE's analysis of sales and businesses is “a valuable resource for investors, policy makers”.

New York Photonics group met last week. The global photonics market is worth at least $150bn, according to analysis bySPIE, the international society for optics and photonics (and owner of optics.org). The data were presented last week (4 September) by SPIE’s Industry and Market Strategist Steve Anderson at the annual meeting of New York Photonics(NYP) at Rochester Museum & Science Center. Anderson described the analysis as “valuable information for industry leaders and academic researchers seeking to communicate the impact of the field.” Moreover, it is a valuable new resource for venture capitalists and policy makers seeking the best investment directions to ensure future economic strength and national security. At the NYP meeting, Anderson was one of a panel of experts who focused on the effectiveness of the model of national centers of excellence for manufacturing and innovation. '700,000 jobs' Anderson presented the SPIE team’s findings that the core of the photonics components market comprises 2,750 companies in 46 countries, generating $156bn in revenues annually. These companies provide 700,000 jobs, and produce materials, LEDs, lasers, detectors, image sensors, lenses, prisms, optical filters, gratings, fiber optics, and other photonic components. Steve Anderson: "Valuable information" The numbers on the worldwide photonics core components market were the second phase in an ongoing SPIE initiative The first phase was announced at SPIE Photonics West in San Francisco, California, last February, and reported similar data for 1,008 of the more than 1,500 exhibiting companies at this year’s BiOS Expo and Photonics West Exhibition. Anderson commented that the SPIE analytics team's next project will focus on the size of photonics-enabled markets worldwide. He said, “The data has been welcomed by industry audiences around the world, who appreciate the report’s transparency – which is an important factor for credibility.” The study results aggregated photonics company sales and employee data using information from business analysis company Dun & Bradstreet (D&B) as well as public information combined with regional statistical benchmarks derived from the SPIE team’s analysis of D&B data. SPIE also conducted an in-depth review of out of range data, and prorated revenue and employment based on estimates of actual photonics-related sales. Companies with total sales of less than $10m were assumed to be 100% photonics. The impact of being able to provide policy makers in particular with estimates about the jobs and revenue generated by the photonics industry is evident in regions such as Europe, where photonics has been identified as one of six Key Enabling Technologies, Anderson said. “The KET recognition has helped pave the way for photonics projects to apply for major funding initiatives, and has helped raise the profile of the field among young people planning their careers.” Institute of photonics for defense A key topic of discussion at the NYP annual meeting was what the establishment in Rochester, NY, of a possible new Department of Defense (DoD)-backed institute focused on photonics would mean to the region. The DoD institute would be part of the President's National Network for Manufacturing Innovation initiative. Also addressed was the opportunity to raise much broader awareness of the field of photonics offered by the United Nations-established International Year of Light and Light-based Technologies 2015. The observance is a "once-in-a-lifetime" chance to draw attention to the many ways optics and photonics technologies improve life, through applications in healthcare, security, communications, manufacturing, education, entertainment, and other areas, Anderson said. European presentation Anderson is also this week presenting the SPIE global market report in France during the second annualLAPHIA International Symposium, being held at the Institut d'Optique d'Aquitaine, Université de Bordeaux, between September 8-12.

About the Author

Matthew Peach is a contributing editor to optics.org.

SPIE Remote Sensing, Security + Defence to showcase sensor and imaging technologies

Co-located events mirror overlap, promote collaboration among underpinning technologies
http://spie.org/x110054.xml

04 September 2014

Amsterdam will host the co-located SPIE Remote Sensing and SPIE Security + Defence conferences this month.

CARDIFF, UK -- SPIE Remote Sensing and SPIE Security + Defenceconferences co-located in Amsterdam this month will provide a stimulating multidisciplinary forum for the latest research in signal processing, electro-optical system design, nanoengineering, and lasers for imaging and sensing applications. The event is sponsored by SPIE, the international society for optics and photonics, and will run 22-25 September in the Amsterdam RAI Exhibition and Convention Centre.

Registered attendees may attend presentations in either conference, including four plenary talks by high-level speakers illustrating the breadth of applications enabled by the event's technologies:

• Security + Defence speakers Jos Benschop of ASML and Peter de With of Technische Universiteit Eindhoven will talk about laser sources and integrated circuit systems for multiple applications, and advanced imaging and sensing systems utilizing CMOS and other technologies.
• Remote Sensing speakers Bart Snijders of TNO and Lisa Huddleston of the NASA Kennedy Space Center will provide perspectives on sensing from space and from Earth, detailing instrumentation and systems used in monitoring weather, natural disasters, and climate change as well as in astronomy.

The Security + Defence technical programme includes nearly 300 papers on topics such as unmanned sensors, technologies for optical countermeasures, quantum-physics-based information technology, millimeter wave and terahertz sensors, and military applications in hyperspectral imaging and high-resolution sensing. Symposium chair is David Titterton, Defence Academy of the UK.

Remote Sensing will include approximately 600 presentations, on topics including sensor technology, next generation satellites, remote sensing of the Earth and its environment, atmospheric propagation, and signal and image processing. Updates on Sentinel, the Rosetta probe, and other current and future space missions will be among the talks. Symposium chair is Charles Bostater, Marine-Environmental Optics Lab and Remote Sensing Center, Florida Institute of Technology.

Security + Defence also includes a free-admission exhibition of more than 30 developers and suppliers showcasing devices and systems for chemical and biological sensing; infrared sources, detectors, and sensors; lasers and other light sources; cameras and CCD components; displays; electronic imaging systems; fiber optic components; and more.

The 50-year heritage of TNO will be celebrated in a dedicated session on Wednesday afternoon during the week. Presentations will detail the organisation's contributions to developments in the field of Earth observation, including instrument design, manufacturing, calibration, and downstream applications.

A lab tour of the European Space Agency is offered on Friday immediately following the conference. Space is limited and advance registration is required, either online via the event registration form or at the registration desk onsite.

Conference proceedings will be published online in the SPIE Digital Libraryafter the event as manuscripts are approved, with CD publication following when all manuscripts are in.

SPIE is the international society for optics and photonics, a not-for-profit organization founded in 1955 to advance light-based technologies. The Society serves more than 235,000 constituents from approximately 155 countries, offering conferences, continuing education, books, journals, and a digital library in support of interdisciplinary information exchange, professional networking, and patent precedent. SPIE provided over $3.2 million in support of education and outreach programs in 2012.

###

Media Contact:
Amy Nelson
Public Relations Manager
amy@spie.org
Tel: +1 360 685 5478

SPIE Leaders, Community Speak Out To Support Photonics R&D

Comment period provides opportunity for advocacy of new photonics manufacturing capability

http://www.photonicsonline.com/doc/spie-leaders-community-speak-out-to-support-photonics-r-d-0001

Leaders of SPIE, the international society for optics and photonics, have been among those speaking out for the value of light-based technologies through the National Photonics Initiative, including in response to a request for information on a proposal for new manufacturing institutes. A photonics institute for manufacturing innovation would help ensure community safety, generate new high-value jobs, and drive economic growth, society leaders say.

A request for information on possible new manufacturing institutes focused on light-based technologies has offered a valuable opportunity for the community to speak out on how the development of new photonics-based applications benefit the economy and society, say leaders of SPIE, the international society for optics and photonics.

A comment period closed last week for a U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) Request for Information (RFI) to gather input to use in scoping focus areas for future Institutes for Manufacturing Innovation (IMI).

“We have received very positive comments in recent meetings in Washington, D.C., on the response from the photonics community. Individuals’ comments are very powerful, and taken together become an even stronger voice of advocacy for photonics,” said SPIE CEO Eugene Arthurs. “We are pleased that the National Photonics Initiative (NPI) once again has been able to help focus and amplify the efforts of individuals from all segments of the industry.”

The NPI, a collaborative alliance seeking to raise awareness of photonics and drive U.S. funding and investment in key photonics-driven fields, was launched in the wake of shrinking federal budgets for research, and on the recommendation of a 2012 National Academies’ report on optics and photonics. SPIE and The Optical Society (OSA) are Founding Sponsors, and the American Physical Society (APS), the IEEE Photonics Society, and the Laser Institute of America (LIA) are Sponsors of the coalition.

Arthurs noted that the NPI’s advocacy efforts in the U.S. resemble similar initiatives in other regions of the world that have been highly successful in promoting optics and photonics and resulting in important funding opportunities.

In the European Union, efforts by Photonics21, which represents industry and research groups and not-for-profit societies including SPIE, have helped secure photonics a place among six Key Enabling Technologies that receive priority funding for R&D. Previously, photonics had been one of 37 Technology Platforms, with less favored funding.

China, Japan, Germany, Singapore, and Belgium are among countries that have invested heavily in national photonics technology institutes, centers of excellence, and similar initiatives, and gained leadership positions in targeted markets as a result.

In Taiwan, R&D strategy has helped create annual export levels in photonics of around US$80B, more than US$3,500 per resident.

A photonics IMI would ensure defense technology leadership for the future while generating and securing jobs and innovation to drive economic growth, SPIE leaders said.

“To maintain a competitive edge requires a healthy symbiosis of science and technology with manufacturing,” Arthurs said. “This is vital to sustenance and progress for both. Knowledge diffusion, from research to manufacturing and from manufacturing to research, is crucial for ongoing innovation that results in tangible economic or social outcomes.”

“Photonics is an enabling technology used in communications, computing, healthcare, transportation, energy, and entertainment, and plays a vital part in our security and defense capabilities” said SPIE Vice President Robert Lieberman, who serves on the NPI steering committee. “For example, optical sensors, from UV through IR to terahertz, have myriad uses in the ongoing quest for the security of our communities. Sensors have multiple uses in everyday life, such as diagnosing disease, ensuring food safety, monitoring health, and ensuring safety on our streets and highways.”

Economic benefits of innovation fund more than 70% of R&D in the United States, he said, but “without the economic benefits from manufacturing, this funding withers.”

More than 300 people signed up for a webinar organized by the NPI about how to respond to the RFI, and SPIE submitted a letter emphasizing the economic impact of photonics.

In advance of the RFI, SPIE and other NPI partners presented white papers on a national photonics prototyping and advanced manufacturing facility to the Office of Science and Technology Policy and DoD officials. The NPI has also been active in promoting biophotonics, environmental sensors, and high-power laser technologies among federal policy makers in Washington, D.C.

About SPIE
SPIE is the international society for optics and photonics, a not-for-profit organization founded in 1955 to advance light-based technologies. The Society serves nearly 256,000 constituents from approximately 155 countries, offering conferences, continuing education, books, journals, and a digital library in support of interdisciplinary information exchange, professional networking, and patent precedent. SPIE provided more than $3.2M in support of education and outreach programs in 2013.

SOURCE: SPIE

SPIE Sensing Technology + Applications Set for May 2014 -

http://www.novuslight.com/spie-sensing-technology-applications_N2201.html

SPIE Sensing Technology + Applications will take place 5 to 9 May 2014 in the Balitimore Convention Centre, Baltimore, Maryland (US). The conference is part of SPIE DSS 2014. It focuses on advanced sensing and imaging topics with an emphasis on civilian application areas, such as energy, environment, health, and agriculture.

Join 6,000 scientists, engineers, product developers, and decision makers in Baltimore and help move these vital technologies into a growing array of applications. Registration includes access to the 500-company DSS Expo; meet with leading suppliers and make vital project connections.

Conference topics include:

• Hyperspectral Imaging
• IR Sensors and Systems
• Imagery and Pattern Analysis
• Next-Generation Sensors and Systems
• Fiber Optic Sensors
• Wireless Sensing
• Terahertz Device and Systems Sensing for Agriculture and Food Safety
• Thermosense Energy Harvesting
• 3D Imaging & Visualization
• Next-Generation Robotics
• Remote Sensing and more...

- See more at: http://www.novuslight.com/spie-sensing-technology-applications_N2201.html#sthash.hO370g1j.dpuf

2014 Prism Awards Recognize Photonics Innovation

http://photonics.com/Article.aspx?AID=55816

SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 6, 2014 — From new tools that improve the accuracy of medical devices to a stand-alone terahertz spectrometer that identifies hazardous substances in mail, modernization and advancement were in the spotlight this week at the 2014 Prism Awards for Photonics Innovation. Nine companies from five countries were recognized at the awards ceremony.

Sponsored by SPIE, the international society for optics and photonics, and Photonics Media, the annual awards recognize photonic products that break with conventional ideas, solve problems and improve life through the application of light-based technologies. Winners are chosen by a panel of expert judges from the photonics industry.“Our Prism Awards recognize the outstanding products that have emerged from ideas, concepts and the distillation of networking at previous conferences … More than 21,000 author-researchers contributed to the work presented [this year]. That represents an impressive amount of people hours — very bright people hours,” said Eugene Arthurs, CEO of SPIE. “Smart, persistent believers ensured that these ideas survived the valleys of desolation and have come to market.”

It is when products result that this enormous intellectual effort makes a real impact, he added. And while photonics technology has an important role in improving quality of life, its applications have a vital economic impact as well.

The 2014 winners are:

• Advanced Manufacturing: Nanoscribe GmbH (Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen, Germany), for the Photonic Professional GT (PPGT); based on TPP, the most accurate and fastest 3-D laser lithography system commercially available. Presenter was Homer Antoniadis, Global Technology Director, DuPont.


• Defense and Security: Hübner GmbH & Co. KG (Ehrenkirchen, Germany), for KG: T-COGNITION, a stand-alone terahertz spectrometer that automatically detects and identifies hazardous substances in mail. Presenter was Jim Oschmann, Ball Aerospace, Vice President and General Manager, Civil Space and Technology, Ball Aerospace.


• Detectors, Sensing, Imaging, and Cameras: Tornado Spectral Systems (Toronto, Ontario, Canada), for OCTANE-860, a small, inexpensive and robust spectrometer on a silicon chip designed for full-featured OCT imaging. Presenter was Brian Lula, President and CEO of PI Physik Instrumente LP.


• Industrial Lasers: V-Gen Ltd. (Tel Aviv, Israel), for the VPFL-ISP-1-40-HE-50000, the ytterbium fiber laser with the shortest pulse width, highest peak power, and highest pulse energy. Presenter was Reinhart Poprawe, Director, Fraunhofer Institut für Lasertechnik.


• Life Science and Biophotonics: AccuVein Inc. (Huntington, N.Y., USA), for the AV400 Vein Viewing System, a handheld, augmented-reality laser camera that detects and projects a vein map on a patient’s skin. Presenter was Babak Parviz, Google Glass Project Lead, Google X and University of Washington.


• Optics and Optical Components: Compass Electro-Optical Systems (Milpitas, Calif., USA): r10004 Router, the first design to allow for a full mesh architecture and an ASIC-to-ASIC link using an optical interconnect. Presenter was Mario Paniccia, General Manager, Silicon Photonics Operation, Intel.


• Other Light Sources: Necsel (Milpitas, Calif., USA): Frequency Converted Green Laser Array, offering the first RGB laser solution in 3-D digital cinema projection. Presenter was Barbara Paldus, CEO, Finesse Solutions.


• Scientific Lasers: Hübner GmbH & Co. KG (Ehrenkirchen, Germany): C-WAVE, the first coherent continuous-wave source able to be tuned across the visible range without change of materials. Presenter was Gisele Maxwell, CEO, Shasta Crystals.


• Test, Measurement, Metrology: Si-Ware Systems (Cairo, Egypt): MEMS FT-IR Spectrometer, the first alignment-free, calibration-free and shock-resistant FT-IR module on a chip scale. Presenter was Paul Johnson, Executive Director of Global Optics, Photop Technologies.

For more information, visit: www.photonicsprismaward.com

AdValue Photonics to showcase 2 µm pulsed fiber laser at SPIE BiOS and SPIE Photonics West

01/22/2014

By Lee Dubay
Associate Editor

http://www.laserfocusworld.com/articles/2014/01/advalue-photonics-to-showcase-2-m-pulsed-fiber-laser-at-spie-bios-and-spie-photonics-west.html

This 2 µm pulsed fiber laser delivers peak power up to 10 kW and average power up to 10 W. Other characteristics include pulse width down to 20 ns and pulse energy up to 500 µJ, and applications include materials processing, laser surgery, mid-infrared generation, light detection and ranging (lidar), and scientific research.

SPIE BiOS/SPIE Photonics West booth numbers: 8533 (SPIE BiOS), 5010 (SPIE Photonics West).

To Learn More:

Contact: AdValue Photonics
Headquarters: Tucson, AZ
Product: 2 µm pulsed fiber laser
Key Features: Peak power up to 10 kW and average power up to 10 W

Optics + Photonics 2013: Lake Shore to highlight terahertz systems at SPIE Optics + Photonics 2013

http://www.novuslight.com/optics-photonics-2013-lake-shore-to-highlight-terahertz-systems-and-others_N1523.html

Published on 20 August 2013

Lake Shore Cryotronics will exhibit its materials characterisation solutions including a prototype terahertz (THz) system at SPIE Optics + Photonics 2013 on 25-29 August at the San Diego Convention Centre (booth 623) in San Diego, California (US). In addition to the new THz system, Lake Shore offers probe stations and Hall measurement systems (HMS) for complex measurements under variable temperature and magnetic field conditions.

The Optics + Photonics 2013 technical program will focus this year on nano-science and solar energy, among other topics. Researchers in spintronics, metamaterials, graphene, thin-film solar technology and other applications being discussed will have the opportunity to see a demonstration of Lake Shore’s THz material characterisation system. The prototype system uses non-contact, THz-frequency energy to enable researchers to explore phenomena in emerging electronic materials over a range of temperatures and magnetic fields.

Lake Shore has designed the THz system for use by material developers, including those in solar cell research. THz light can be used specifically to characterise electronic transport in transparent conductive oxides, including zinc-oxide, which can be important in future solar cell development. In addition, THz spectroscopy offers particular potential for characterising dielectric materials and certain multi-layer materials because THz light can pass through and pick up information from all layers.

Several key research facilities in the US are currently using alpha units of the THz system to gain valuable insight into molecular solids, thin films and other semiconductor devices. Earlier this year, Lake Shore was awarded a US Air Force STTR Phase I grant in support of the project.

The Lake Shore Model 8404 AC field system can be ordered with AC field HMS capability, which enables users to characterise materials with Hall mobilities down to 0.001 square centimetres per volt (cm²/V), lower than is possible using DC field HMS techniques. The company’s cryogenic probe stations enable reliable, unattended measurements of electrical, electro-optical, DC, RF and microwave properties of materials and test devices at cryogenic temperatures and under the application of magnetic fields up to 30,000 Gauss.

Verisante Aura Named Finalist for 2013 SPIE Prism Award

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/verisante-aura-named-finalist-2013-184051879.html

VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA--(Marketwire - Nov 20, 2012) - Verisante Technology, Inc. (TSX VENTURE:VRS)(VRSEF)(V3T.F) (the "Company" or "Verisante"), a leader in cancer detection technology, announced today that Verisante''s Aura™, the revolutionary skin cancer detection device, has been named a finalist for the 2013 Prism Awards in the Life Sciences and Biophotonics category.

"We are honoured to be a finalist for this prestigious Award," said Thomas Braun, President and CEO. "It is very gratifying to be recognized as an industry leader for our innovative and disruptive technology, which has the potential to improve patient outcomes, reduce wait times and also save the health care system time and money. The Aura is a game changing technology because in half a second it will tell doctors if a suspicious skin lesion is high or low risk for being cancerous and should be biopsied or not."
Verisante will be in attendance when the winner will be announced at the 2013 Prism Awards banquet on February 6 in San Francisco. The Verisante Aura™ beta units are currently installed at five leading dermatology clinics across Canada for software verification purposes. This is the final step prior to making this device available in Canada, 27 European countries, and Australia where the device has already been approved for sale. The Verisante Aura™ is expected to be commercially available in Canada, Europe and Australia in early 2013.
About the 2013 Prism Awards
The Prism Awards, named the "Photonics Oscar" by OptecNet Deutschland, is a celebration of the best of our industry. It takes place every year in conjunction with SPIE Photonics West in San Francisco, California.
The Prism Awards for Photonics Innovation is a leading international competition that honors the best new photonic products on the market. Over the years, the Prism Awards has received applications from more than 35 countries across the globe. Applications are judged by panel of leading industry experts, venture capitalists, luminaries and visionaries. The finalists and winners that are ultimately chosen (from General Electric, Agilent, Hamamatsu to Swamp Optics, Optotune, WiTec) reflect the diversity of the program.
SPIE Photonics West is the world''s largest and most influential photonics and optics event with over 1500 companies exhibiting and 20,000 attendees.
To find out more about the Awards, visit the website at http://www.photonicsprismaward.com.
About Verisante Technology, Inc.
Verisante is a medical device company committed to commercializing innovative systems for the early detection of cancer. The Verisante Aura™ for skin cancer detection and the Verisante Core™ series for lung, colon and cervical cancer detection utilize a proprietary cancer detection platform while the operating software and probe technology are unique to each device. The cancer detection platform was developed by the BC Cancer Agency and tested and refined at the Skin Care Centre at Vancouver General Hospital. This exclusive platform technology allows Verisante to develop and offer a range of compact, non-invasive cancer detection devices that offer physicians immediate results for many of the most common cancers. The Aura™ has been approved for sale in Canada, Europe and Australia. The Core™ has not yet been approved for sale.
Verisante Aura™ was awarded Popular Science Magazine''s "Best of What''s New Award" for 2011, and Verisante Core™ was named one of the top 10 cancer breakthroughs of 2011 by the Canadian Cancer Society. In addition, the Company was named a finalist for the 2011 Regional Awards for New Technology by the Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters and the National Research Council of Canada and named as the year''s top ranking Technology and Life Sciences Company on the TSX Venture 50.