Researchers discussed developments and obstacles at the Third International Conference on Micro Opto Electro Mechanical Systems (MOEMS). Organized by the Institut fur Mikrotechnik Mainz GmbH, it highlighted growing applications, such as optical communications, sensors and imaging. Presenters showed that micromirrors have followed diverse evolutionary paths, demonstrating single mirrors with deflection angles as high as 60° and fingernail-sized 32 x 32 arrays. Several talks highlighted the state of the art in microsystem products, including the possibility of high-precision hybrid integration and the importance of advanced packaging concepts.