In This Issue

• Conferences
• Open Houses
• New Products
• Chances to Meet Optics Students
• Intellectual Property Legislation
• Tech Transfer

Geospatial Systems

Geospatial Systems, Inc. (GSI) Chief Technology Officer, Kevin Kearney discussed precision imaging technology for next-generation UAVs (Unmanned Airborne Vehicles) at the (Institute for Defense & Government Advancement) IDGA UAV Summit in Herndon, VA on February 28, 2008. The UAV Summit presents the latest developments in unmanned aviation capabilities and technologies for Defense and Homeland Security. Kearney discussed Highly Capable UAV (HCUAV) Payloads. GSI has been collaborating with Rochester Institute of Technology and Penn State Electro-Optics Center on research to greatly enhance the capabilities of Tactical UAVs by allowing semi-autonomous operation of the aircraft, coupled with real time georeferenced imaging sensors and image processing.

Based on this collaborative effort, GSI recently announced a joint product offering with Leica: Geosystems Geospatial Imaging (LGGI). The TerraPix Tactical AMS (Airborne Mapping and Surveillance) System is a multisensor payload designed to produce National Geospatial Intelligence Agency (NGA) SDI 1.0 compliant imagery & metadata supporting Reconnaissance, Surveillance and Target Acquisition (RSTA).

“GSI is pleased to participate in the IDGA UAV Summit. The outcome of these collaborative efforts will continue to advance capabilities in the real time collection and dissemination of geospatial information to support the Defense and Homeland Security decision making processes” said Maxime Elbaz, CEO, Geospatial Systems, Inc.

Angstrom Supplying Ge Components

Angstrom Precision Optics Inc. (Rochester, NY) announced that they are now offering precision plano polished Germanium windows. The Ge components are servicing the defense, aerospace and commercial infrared industry sectors. APO has worked with partners during the past year to refine the production process to supply ultra flat and parallel discs as well as shaped windows of any configuration. " We have set aside a significant portion of our manufacturing space to accommodate the recent influx of new orders for the germanium windows" said Ron Schulmerich, President of APO. "The addition of the Ge products accentuates Angstrom's position in the photonics industry as one of the premier suppliers of precision plano and parallel optical components."

For additional information (including sample windows), contact Ron at info[at]apoptics.com

Call for Papers

Technical Conference: October 19–23, 2008

OSA's Annual Meeting: Frontiers in Optics (FiO) 2008, the longest-standing meeting in optics and photonics, will once again be held in Rochester, New York this year. Colocated with the meeting is the American Physical Society's (APS) annual meeting, Laser Science XXIV.

The meeting is also the occasion of OSA's Fall Optics & Photonics Congress. Submission deadline for papers is May 19th for all three segments of the Congress:

• Optical Fabrication and Testing (OFT)
• Illumination Modeling: Simulation and Perception of Lit and Unlit Objects (IM)
• Plasmonics and Metamaterials (META)

Albany Region

SUNY CAT Hosting Dinner /Showcase

Rensselaer Polytech's Center for Automation Technologies and Systems (CATS) will host its annual Technology Showcase and Dinner

Wednesday, April 30
4:00pm - 8:00pm
Russell Sage Dining Hall
RPI Campus, Troy, NY.

A technical poster session and reception will be held from 4:00-6:00 p.m. featuring a broad range of Center activities and technologies.

The dinner will start at 6:30 p.m. Edward Reinfurt, Executive Director of the New York State Foundation for Science, Technology and Innovation (NYSTAR), will be the speaker.

Dinner choices are grilled beef tenderloin, potato herb crusted cod, or sun dried tomato ravioli.

RSVP by March 28, 2008.

Attendees call or e-mail Jeanette Young (youngj4[at]rpi.edu, 518-276-8744) and let her know your choice of dinner entree.

8th Annual Golf Tourney

Spread the word! The 8th annual WNY Photonics Golf Tournament will be held on July 17th at Shadow Lake and Shadow Pines Golf Clubs in Penfield NY.

Last year's event raised $14,500 for a total thusfar of $43K to benefit the Golisano Children's Hospital at Strong.

The participation from WNY photonics companies, their suppliers and and friends, as well as companies from as far away as Opto Sigma in California made the event another rousing success. Ron and Diane Schulmerich are looking for volunteer committee members to help organize this year's event. The organization of the tourney has become more challenging each year with the increasing participation. They are in of a need of a little help from their friends!! We also want to get an early start on soliciting larger corporate sponsors this year.

Contact them at wnyoptics@rochester.rr.com or
585-663-7230 if you are interested in volunteering for the Optics Industry's largest networking event of the year.

Speaking of Golf:

New Photonics Golf League!

Carol Corey of Sydor Optics and Ron Schulmerich of Angstrom Precision Optics are organizing a Photonics Golf League at Shadow Lake. After contacting the area courses, there were limited options for time slots. As a result, they've selected Friday nights after 5:00 and are looking for people who would be interested in participating.

The league season will last from May 9 to August 22, however with the Friday night slot, we'll be able to golf longer if we desire. We will also be alternating between the front and back nine each week. Those of you who have participated in the annual WNY Optics/Photonics Golf Tournament at Shadow Lake, know what a great facility it is. It would be a wonderful opportunity to come out and golf as well as get to know other folks from the local industry.

The cost per person is $23 per week per person; $6 extra per week for a cart

Those amounts include a $5.00/week charge which will be applied towards an end of the season tournament and dinner.

If you are interested please contact Carol at 585-271-7300 or Ron at 585-663-7230. Sign-ups will be based upon a first-come, first-serve basis with full payment due by no later than April 18.

Events and Conferences

Defense & Security
16 - 20 March, 2008
Marriott World Center
Orlando, Florida, USA
Conference

Optatec 2008
17 - 20 June, 2008
Frankfurt, Germany
Conference

OSA Annual Frontiers in Optics 2008
19 - 23 October, 2008
Rochester, NY
Riverside Convention Center

Optifab
11 - 14 May, 2009
Early Bird Contract, due February 15
here.
Rochester, NY
Riverside Convention Center

Save the Date!

RRPC Annual Meeting

Wednesday, April 23rd
Rochester Museum & Science Center
3:30pm - 7:30pm

Special Guest panel,

Entrepreneurship and Optics

featuring:

• John Bruning, Corning Corporation
  (formerly, of Tropel Corporation)
• Stephen Fantone, President & CEO
  Optikos, (Wakefield, MA)
• N. Darius Sankey, Managing Partner
  Zone Ventures (L.A., CA)
• Dick Kaplan, President & CEO
  Pictometry International (Rochester, NY)
• Turan Erdogan, CTO
  Semrock (Rochester, NY)

Panel Moderated by Duncan Moore,
Rudolf & Hilda Kingslake Professor of Optical Engineering
Professor of Optics, Biomedical Engineering and Business Administration
Vice Provost for Entrepreneurship
University of Rochester

This year's Annnual Meeting includes a late afternoon panel discussion with entrepreneurs from the Optics and imaging fields, moderated by Duncan Moore. The combined events, with your support, will also be a fundraiser.

Here is how it works:

As a New York Photonics / RRPC member, each company gets one free ticket. Additonally, e are encouraging all members to purchase tickets and invite colleagues from outside the industry, and we are sending out a suggested list of invitees just in case. This event will have broad appeal to people from the tech, finance and economic development communities and we want to make sure they get invited.

One Ticket is $45, a book of five is $195. And of course, the tickets can be business-expensed because you are also wining and dining your guests.

• Host business colleagues
• Show off the industry
• Make a donation to the RRPC fundraiser

RRPC networking reception and Annual Meeting:
5:30pm - 7:30pm
including:
Announcement of new RRPC Board
RRPC Business
Panel Recap

G-S PLASTIC OPTICS

G-S PLASTIC OPTICS Beefs Up with New Diamond Turning Machine

G-S PLASTIC OPTICS has once again expanded its precision manufacturing capabilities with the latest diamond turning technology. The company announces the recent integration of a Precitech Nanoform(r) 200 machine. This two-axis aspheric contouring machine with real-time operating system will be used for single point diamond turning. The work center is also equipped with a slow tool servo that enables the company to rapidly manufacture large departure freeform optics.

By bringing this capability in-house, G-SPO can offer its customers improved operational efficiency and delivery times, specifically in the realm of rapid prototyping and limited production runs of polymer optics.

CCMR Facilities Open to Visitors

Facilities Overview for Regional Businesses

The Cornell Center for Materials Research (CCMR) will host "Facilities 101."

Tuesday, April 8

9:30am - 4:00pm

701 Clark Hall, Cornell campus

Cost: $100

To register or access further information visit the CCMR website here. Attendees will learn how to access CCMR's extensive materials testing resources to help solve problems and increase competitiveness.

Henry Gysling of Airflow Catalyst Systems (Rochester, NY), found that "for smaller companies like ours without in-house R&D capabilities, Cornell facilities are a cost-effective way to access an outstanding group of materials experts and a broad array of materials synthesis and characterization equipment."

Attendees will also learn how to apply for matching funds via the JumpStart program to start a collaborative project with a university faculty member. The NYSTAR-funded program helps small businesses address technical gaps in product development, particularly where the Center's research equipment or a faculty member's expertise can be brought to bear.

Of the twenty-two JumpStart projects initiated since 2005, twelve projects have led to an ongoing relationship with the university. In 2007, four JumpStart participants were further assisted to submit six applications for additional external funding, of which two were successful. Additionally, funding of over $2 million from additional grants or awards was announced by JumpStart "alumni" in 2007. These 22 projects demonstrate a wide range of diverse technical services accessed by small NYS businesses through JumpStart:

• new product development (9 projects)
• improving or replacing materials (7 projects)
• measurement or characterization of materials (4 projects)
• solving materials-related problems (2 projects)

Applications for Fall 2008 semester projects will be accepted through June 21.

Contact RRPC

New York Photonics and the Rochester Regional Photonics Cluster are active and growing collaborative organizations. Efforts are under way on joint training events, workforce development, collaborative advertising opportunities, promoting the commercialization of I.P., and the development of our website to further facillitate business development.

Join us! There are advantages to working together, and we are interested in working with you. Send an email to us at membership@rrpc-ny.org.

To subscribe, to unsubscribe, to submit a news item or upcoming event, to suggest a feature or column, or to offer feedback, contact Tom Battley, at 585-329-4029.

Copyright 2008, Rochester Regional Photonics Cluster, Inc.

New York Photonics and The Rochester Regional Photonics Cluster (RRPC) are not-for-profit organizations founded to promote and enhance the New York State photonics, optics and imaging industry by fostering the cooperation of business, academia and government.