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17 Jun 2002
This week's optics news includes start-up funding, display losses and a sun-loving robot.
Germany-based Lambda Physik has reported that "an important [lithography] customer" has postponed an order following installation problems with Lambda Physik's 193 nm technology. The executive board is keen to emphasize that the customer has not pulled out and also warns that sales growth will now be "low at best".
Scotland's Intense Photonics has received USD 630,000 from the Scottish Executive to develop an optoelectronic packet switch. With all routing components integrated onto a single chip, Jim Ashe, marketing vice-president of Intense Photonics, hopes that the company's switch will "enable telecoms equipment makers to build all-optical systems for mass markets." The project starts immediately and will last for 18 months.
US market analyst DisplaySearch has reported losses of 15% in small and medium liquid-crystal display markets, which include mobile phones, personal digital assistants (PDAs) and digital cameras. Revenues are down to USD 1.21 billion, but are expected to rebound in the next quarter as color displays penetrate mobile phone and PDA markets.
Defense electronics manufacturer DRS Technologies, US, has bought the Boeing Company's Sensors and Electronic Systems (SES) for USD 84 million. Based in California, SES manufactures electro-optical airborne and naval surveillance and targeting systems, and military infrared sensors.
And finally, a solar-powered robot developed by NASA-funded researchers at the US Carnegie Mellon University's Robotics Institute has successfully completed its first mission. "Hyperion" navigated through the Mars-like terrain of the Canadian Arctic while checking its solar panels had sufficient energy. "The technology is a grand leap for planetary exploration," said principal investigator William Whittaker. "Hyperion wriggled through some pretty tight spots," added project manager David Wettergreen.
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