Photonics & Imaging

A New Model that Addresses the ‘Outfielder Problem’

The work addresses the outfielder problem, which refers to the baseball player who stands in the outfield to catch the ball after it is hit. It is a classic challenge in physics and the neuroscience of movement, used to explore how humans and animals predict movements in a dynamic environment and how automated systems can be designed to mimic them.

An Innovative Sensing Platform for Ultrahigh Sensitivity in Conventional Sensors

New research unlocks the power of exceptional points (EPs) for advanced optical sensing. In a study published in Science Advances , a team showed that these unique EPs — specific conditions in systems where extraordinary optical phenomena can occur — can be deployed on conventional sensors to achieve a striking sensitivity to environmental perturbations. Read on to learn more.

Bio-Inspired Cameras and AI Detect Obstacles Faster

Daniel Gehrig and Davide Scaramuzza from the Department of Informatics at the University of Zurich have combined a novel bio-inspired camera with AI to develop a system that can detect obstacles around a car much quicker than current systems and using less computational power. Read on to learn more about the study, which is published in Nature.

Single-Shot Polarization Imaging System Provides Complete Picture

Researchers at the Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences have developed a compact, single-shot polarization imaging system that can provide a complete picture of polarization. Read on to learn more about it.

A Step Toward More Accurate 3D Object Detection

Scientists have developed multi-modal 3D object detection methods that combine 3D LiDAR data with 2D RGB images taken by standard cameras. While the fusion of 2D images and 3D LiDAR data leads to more accurate 3D detection results, it still faces its own set of challenges, with accurate detection of small objects remaining difficult. Read on to learn more about it.

A Neuromorphic Exposure Control System to Revolutionize Machine Vision in Extreme Lighting Environments

A research team has recently developed a neuromorphic exposure control system that revolutionizes machine vision under extreme lighting variations.

This AI Can Tell You Your Food’s Nutritional Value

An AI system developed by NYU Tandon School of Engineering researchers promises a new tool for the millions of people who want to manage their weight, diabetes, and other diet-related health conditions.

Products of Tomorrow

See the products of tomorrow, including paper-thin optical lenses simple enough to mass produce like microchips; a compact cooling technology that can pump away heat continuously using layers of flexing thin films; and a multilayered chip design that doesn’t require any silicon wafer substrates and works at temperatures low enough to preserve the underlying layer’s circuitry.

New on the Market

See what's new on the market, including electronic control products from NORD DRIVESYSTEMS; the new F-141 photonics alignment system from PI; InnoPhase IoT's expansion of its Talaria platform; Aerotech, Inc.'s HexGen® HEX150-125HL Miniature Hexapod; and more.

New on the Market

See what's new on the market, including Nikon Corporation's NEXIV VMF-K Series, a next-generation video measuring system; the surfaceCONTROL 3D snapshot sensors from Micro-Epsilon; InfraTec's INDU-SCAN base, a flexible and cost-effective thermography solution for use in industrial applications 24/7; Curtiss-Wright Actuation Division's Exlar® electric actuator product offerings; and more.

Quantum Sensing to Engineer Photonic Sensors

A Bristol-led team of physicists has found a way to operate mass manufacturable photonic sensors at the quantum limit. This breakthrough paves the way for practical applications such as monitoring greenhouse gases and cancer detection. Read on to learn more.

Visible-Light Lasers That Fit on a Fingertip

Researchers have created visible lasers of very pure colors from near-ultraviolet to near-infrared that fit on a fingertip. The colors of the lasers can be precisely tuned and extremely fast — up to 267 petahertz per second, which is critical for applications such as quantum optics. Read on to learn more.

Levitating Objects with Light

Researchers have designed a way to levitate and propel objects using only light by creating specific nanoscale patterning on the objects' surfaces. The work could be a step toward developing a spacecraft that could reach the nearest planet outside of our solar system in 20 years, powered and accelerated only by light. Read on to learn more.

Say Goodbye to the Dots and Dashes to Enhance Optical Storage Media

Purdue researchers have created technology aimed at replacing Morse code with colored “digital characters” to modernize optical storage. They are confident the advancement will help with the explosion of remote data storage during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. Read on to learn more.

New AR Glasses Use AI-Enhanced Holographic Imaging

Researchers in the emerging field of spatial computing have developed a prototype augmented reality headset that uses holographic imaging to overlay full-color, 3D moving images on the lenses of what would appear to be an ordinary pair of glasses. Read on to learn more about it.

3 Robotic Technologies Looking to Change Life on Earth and the Moon

Watch this video to learn more about three new robotic technologies: A soft robot developed at NC State University; a pair of wearable robotic limbs developed by MIT engineers; and a camera inspired by the human eye developed at the University of Maryland.

7 Finalists for SPIE Startup Challenge at Photonics West 2025

Seven early-stage startup companies have been selected to compete for a top prize of $10,000 at the 15th annual SPIE Startup Challenge at Photonics West Tuesday, January 28.

New Product Launches and Technologies to See at Photonics West 2025

The SPIE Photonics West 2025 technical conference and exhibition returns to San Francisco's Moscone Center, January 25 to 30, providing attendees the opportunity to learn...

A More Responsive Infrared Photodiode

Researchers have developed a new type of infrared photodiode that is 35 percent more responsive at 1.55 µm, the key wavelength for telecommunications, compared to other germanium-based components.

Smallest Walking Robot Makes Microscale Measurements

Cornell researchers in physics and engineering have created the smallest walking robot yet. Its mission: to be tiny enough to interact with waves of visible light and still move...

Integrating and Testing the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope

In this video, we provide an overview of the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope’s mission, capabilities and timeline to launch.

How AiSee Can Make the Blind ‘See’

AiSee is a smart headphone equipped with an integrated camera, microphone, and an AI-powered software architecture. It “sees” what’s in front of the user, “hears” what the user says, and is able “speak” to the user.

Videos of the Month

See the videos of month, including one on UW researchers developing a flexible, durable electronic prototype that can harvest energy from body heat and turn it into electricity that can be used to power small electronics; one on Purdue University researchers using both ultrasonic waves and X-ray CT to “see inside” manufactured objects nondestructively; one on Rotograb, a robotic hand that merges the dexterity of human hands with the strength and efficiency of industrial grippers; and more.

Camera Inspired by the Human Eye Can Improve How Robots See, React

A team led by University of Maryland computer scientists invented a camera mechanism that improves how robots see and react to the world around them. Inspired by how the human eye works, their innovative camera system mimics the tiny involuntary movements used by the eye to maintain clear and stable vision over time. Read on to learn more.

Designing and Testing the Optics for NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope

When it launches no later than May 2027, the NASA Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope will serve as a powerful eye on deep space, capturing images of billions of distant galaxies and exploring the mysteries of dark matter, supernovae and other cosmic phenomena. Read on to learn about what it takes to make it a success.