Boston Micromachines Developing Device to Prevent Friendly Fire

Boston Micromachines Corp. (BMC), a Watertown, Mass.-based provider of MEMS (microelectromechanical systems) -based deformable mirror products for adaptive optics systems, today announced that it has received a $750,000 Phase II Small Business Technology Transfer Program (STTR) award from the US Army through the Department of Defense. The award will allow BMC and its research partner, Boston University, to continue developing its Secure Communicating Optical Ultrasmall Transponder (SCOUT), which previously received a Phase I STTR award. The device is intended to reduce "friendly fire" incidents on the battlefield through secure optical communication using an active mirror to rapidly identify friendly soldiers, vehicles, or aircraft. The goal for the two-year Phase II project is to develop a working prototype of a compact, portable, low power, lightweight, and low-cost modulated retro-reflecting device for free-space covert communication and remote sensor interrogation.

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Published: November 2007

Glossary

adaptive optics: Adaptive optics (AO) is a technology used to improve the performance of optical systems by reducing the effects of atmospheric distortions. The Earth's atmosphere can cause light passing through it to experience distortions, resulting in image blurring and degradation in various optical applications, such as astronomical observations, laser communications, and imaging systems. Adaptive optics systems actively adjust the optical elements in real-time to compensate for these distortions. Key...
microelectromechanical systems: Refers to micron-size complex machines that have physical dimensions suitable for the fabrication of optical switches for use in state-of-the-art communications networks.
photonics: The technology of generating and harnessing light and other forms of radiant energy whose quantum unit is the photon. The science includes light emission, transmission, deflection, amplification and detection by optical components and instruments, lasers and other light sources, fiber optics, electro-optical instrumentation, related hardware and electronics, and sophisticated systems. The range of applications of photonics extends from energy generation to detection to communications and...
sensor: 1. A generic term for detector. 2. A complete optical/mechanical/electronic system that contains some form of radiation detector.

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