SAN JOSE, Calif., Jan. 24 -- One of the more interesting aspects of Photonics West 2001 has been the number of working displays. A variety of companies trucked in and set up working versions of their machinery. QED Technologies was showing lens grinding and polishing equipment and had several machines operating. 
QED Technologies had a variety of optical machinery operating on the exhibit floor.
Another company with a large working display was Adept Technology, which was introducing its new photonics assembly platform for testing and precision assembly of passive and active devices using epoxy, solder and laser welding.
In addition to the larger setups, imaging and laser firms also had a variety of interactive displays that were involved in real-time activities such as measuring and testing. Another interesting aspect of the conference was the constant crowds to be found at the SPIE Career Center. Approximately 60 companies had set up booths and were actively seeking new recruits. An additional 20 or so poster boards were covered with job postings. If, as some allege, the economy is slowing, the activities at the recruitment center cast doubt on that claim.