Figure 1a shows a slotted optical switch. An LED is mounted in a plastic housing, facing a phototransistor, but separated by a gap. If something moves into the gap, it blocks the light path between ...

I am always on the lookout for ideas for simple test and measurement instruments that can be used on my workbench. Over the years, I have built dozens of little test instruments and home lab ...

Researchers have developed a fast and accurate flexible tactile optical sensor capable of reading Braille. The technology could enable smart readers that convert Braille to speech or text, helping to ...

In 1978, Dr Kenneth Hill, a Canadian physicist, first demonstrated the Fiber Bragg grating (FBG), an optical sensor able to reflect narrow wavelengths of light. During the 1980s, the technology was ...

Carbon nanotube: these structures have been used to create a new and flexible light sensor. (Courtesy: iStock/theasis) A flexible, ultrathin optical sensor that uses carbon nanotubes to convert light ...

Aging degradation and seismic damage of civil infrastructure pose a serious problem for society. One promising technology for monitoring the condition of structures is optical fiber sensing. By ...