SPIE Defense + Commercial Sensing expo to run 3-7 April

07 Mar 2022

In-person event drawing together photonics engineers, researchers, and imaging specialists returning to Orlando, Forida.

With more than 200 exhibitors attending and over 1,100 technical talks scheduled, SPIE Defense + Commercial Sensing (DCS) is set to return to Orlando, Florida, next month. The program is now live and registration is open for the event which runs 3-7 April at the Gaylord Palms Resort & Convention Center.

The in-person conference and exhibition will showcase more than 200 exhibitors featuring optics, imaging systems, lasers, and advanced cameras, the largest technical conference in the field of imaging and sensing, training courses, and influential speakers from government, industry, and academia.

Program highlights include a Florida photonics industry showcase, with speakers from eight Florida Photonics Cluster companies, whose technologies are providing solutions for both the commercial sector and the defense and security industries.

These include: LightPath, Pangolin Laser Systems, L3Harris, Ocean Insight, OptiGrate, Beam Engineering, Optronic Labs, and Jenoptik. DCS will also feature a public-policy update with SPIE Government Affairs Director Jennifer O'Bryan; a thermo-imaging-focused vendor showcase and reception; a two-day-long Job Fair on 5-6 April; and multiple opportunities for networking, connecting, and discussions with technology suppliers.

The five-day program also offers a program of plenary speakers who will address key topics that range from the latest focus on materials and devices and imaging and analytics, to ATR and next-generation sensors.

Plenary speakers

The plenary speakers currently confirmed are Philip Perconti, director and CTO of Leonardo DRS; Edmund Zelnio of the Autonomy Technology Research Center at the US Air Force Research Lab (AFRL); Jill Crisman, principal director for artificial intelligence at the US Department of Defense; and the University of Maryland’s Jacob (Jake) Taylor.

Twenty course offerings include Fundamentals of Infrared Sensing, Introduction to Optomechanical Design, and Interpreting Deep Learning Networks, while technical sessions will cover the latest in quantum, imaging, sensing, and other applications key to the defense and commercial industries.

“We are very happy to be returning to Orlando for this year’s SPIE Defense + Commercial Sensing,” said SPIE CEO Kent Rochford. “There’s nothing like in-person events — especially in a place like Orlando, a region with an active and innovative industry and research community — and we are very much looking forward to connecting with all of our attendees and exhibitors in April.”

“I am thrilled to be welcoming SPIE back to Orlando in April and excited to see all of the latest technologies in person,” said L3Harris Technologies Engineering Fellow and SPIE Defense + Commercial Sensing Symposium Chair Teresa Pace. “As a major hub for the optics and photonics industry, we are perfectly primed to host a comprehensive and dynamic gathering of technical leaders, engineers, and companies, all of whom represent the best the industry has to offer.”

“I can't wait to get back to Orlando for SPIE Defense + Commercial Sensing this year,” said University of South Carolina chemistry and biochemistry professor and Symposium Chair Augustus W. Fountain III.

“This year, we really do have some wonderful speakers lined up, as well as terrific technical presentations in place. Hearing about the latest advances and seeing the newest technologies in real life is second to none for scientific progress and career building, and it's going to be great to see and reconnect with my friends and colleagues this April.”

SPIE Defense + Commercial Sensing will be adhering to the CDC Guidance for Activities and Gatherings and to attend it will require proof of a negative Covid test prior to attending. Proof of an approved Covid vaccine can be used in lieu of a negative test.