Many people do not know / understand what Photonics is. Yeah, something with light, but that is about it!
Professor Tanya Monro, at the time Professor of Photonics (Physics) at the University of Adelaide (Australia), gives a crash course in photonics, the science of light in this video.
Continue reading “What is photonics and how is it used (VIDEO)?”
How to ‘feel pain’ in materials
Composites: much used, but hard to understand
Composites are extremely strong and light materials because they are a combination of polymers, and glass or carbon fibers (which give the material greater strength). Composites are used in a whole range of applications: in aircraft (for example in the mechanics of the wing flaps and in fact in 40% of all of the aircraft’s components), as the base material for carbon-framed bikes, in Formula 1 racing cars (about 85% of a Formula I car is made from composite material), for the blades on wind turbines, in pressure vessels for storing gas, in prostheses, boats, electric cars – and so much more. Space flight is starting to show a growing interest in composites, too. Continue reading “How to ‘feel pain’ in materials”
Airborne Lidar for high-precision maps
Lidar (Light Detection And Radar) is a photonics technology based on laser. Mounted on an aircraft Lidar technology is able to create maps of extremely high detail. The Lidar sensor sends invisible near-infrared light pulses to the ground. The distance is then calculated by recording the time the light pulse takes to travel from the sensor to the ground and back. Continue reading “Airborne Lidar for high-precision maps”