Potomac Photonics, a company that produces micromachines recently received a grant worth approximately US$500,000 from the National Science Foundation.
The grant amount will be used to continue the company’s efforts to develop miniscule wireless sensor nodes. The devices will be in sizes smaller than a penny, and will be deployed to make breakthroughs in the fields as far ranging as healthcare and communications.
These devices identify alterations in heat, pressure, sound, light and vibrations. They also identify position, motion and direction of an object and relay the data collected to the central base stations. They can also identify natural calamities like earthquakes, making them ideal for deployment in perilous environments. One possibility in the field of healthcare could be a body area network to be worn by a patient. The wireless device will help doctors track and monitor the patient’s health constantly, relaying relevant patient data to a central computer.
This development will enable the company to continue its efforts to reduce the size of prevailing sensing devices. The company will also endeavor to work towards shaping the sensing device to suit specific requirements and overall time to market, reducing costs in the process while enhancing efficiency. This will ensure building sensors that will be applicable in fields such as healthcare, and monitoring of pipelines, roads, bridges and aircraft.
Source: http://www.Potomac-laser.com