Mirrorcle Technologies MEMS devices address a wide range of applications that require optical beam steering. As optical scanning or beam steering appears in various industries and numerous applications, our scanning mirrors are most beneficial in those applications that require miniature, high speed, low-power, or low-cost solutions.

Some of the applications of MirrorcleTech devices that are currently under development are listed here.

Projection Displays

• Low-cost and readily deployable video displays on glass and other transparent surfaces (e.g. car windshield HUD.)
• Miniature, hand-held, and battery-run full-color video projection displays at SVGA resolution.
• Single- or multi-color vector-graphic projection displays

3D Scanning and Ladar Imaging

• Laser vision for robots (read related article).
• Low-cost and compact LIDAR imaging for robotic applications. See our MEMS mirrors in LIDAR application here.
• A MEMS LIDAR System using Mirrorcle MEMS.
• 3D Scanning of objects.
• Mirrorcle MEMS provide enabling technology for Automated 3D Scannign Solutions for automotive industry. Helix Video.
• Devices provide precisely positioned laser spot or laser line for camera imaging.
• Non-contact 3D scanning of solid objects to obtain their precise measurements and computer models.
• Various standard techniques can be used with the advantage of portability and low cost with our MEMS devices.

3D Tracking and Position Measurement

• Position measurement for gaming controllers and related human-computer interfaces.
• Outdoor laser tracking at longer distances for industrial applications video is here.
• High end 3D measurement units for contstruction and other industrial uses.
• Our device was used in a demonstration by National Instruments at the NI Week 2009 event in Austin, TX. See the video of fast laser tracking based on NI’s FPGA hardware and Mirrorcle Technologies MEMS mirror. (Actual demonstration begins at ~3:20.) New!
• Veljko Milanović, N. Siu, A. Kasturi, M. Radojičić, Y. Su, “ “MEMSEye” for Optical 3D Tracking and Imaging Applications,”Proceedings of the Transducers 2011 conference, Beijing, China. (PDF, 907k)
• Veljko Milanović, Wing Kin Lo, “Fast and High-Precision 3D Tracking and Position Measurement with MEMS Micromirrors,” 2008 IEEE/LEOS Optical MEMS and Their Applications Conf., Freiburg, Germany, Aug. 12, 2008.
• Some successful video demonstrations of rapid and precise laser tracking include 3D laser tracking system and vibration measurement. More recent development allows 3D laser tracking of retroreflective objects such as retroreflective tape and corner-cube retroreflector, as well as light-emitting objects.

Laser Marking and Engraving

• Low cost, low power, and miniature alternative to galvanometer scanners in laser marking and engraving applications with low to moderate laser power.
• See a simple demonstration of writing grayscale images in LightScribe CDs using a 405nm laser diode and Mirrorcle MEMS mirror here.

Telecommunications

• Variable Optical Attenuators
• Fiber-to-fiber optical switching

Free-space Communications

• Free-space optical links with our MEMS devices maintaining alignment between transmitter and receiver pairs.
• Precise real-time closed-loop positioning of optical beams for communications link optimization.

Biomedical Imaging

• Gimbal-less design gives ultra-fast two-axis laser beam steering
• Large angles in point-to-point or resonant mode of operation
• Devices are small enough to fit into endoscopes, capsules, etc.
• See biomedical imaging related press releases on the news page.
• Some examples of our devices applied in bio-medical imaging:
  Chen D. Lu, Martin F. Kraus, Benjamin Potsaid, Jonathan J. Liu, WooJhon Choi, Vijaysekhar Jayaraman, Alex E. Cable, Joachim Hornegger, Jay S. Duker, and James G. Fujimoto, “Handheld ultrahigh speed swept source optical coherence tomography instrument using a MEMS scanning mirror,” Biomedical Optics Express, Vol. 5, Issue 1, pp. 293-311 (2014).
  R. L. Shelton, W. Jung, S. I. Sayegh, D. T. McCormick, J. Kim, S. A. Boppart, “Optical Coherence Tomography for advanced screening in the primary care office,” J. Biophotonics, 2013 Apr. 18.
  W. Jung, S. Tang, T. Xie, D. T. McCormick, Y-C. Ahn, J. Su, I. V. Tomov, T. B. Krasieva, B. J. Tromberg, Z. Chen, “Miniaturized probe using 2 axis MEMS scanner for endoscopic multiphoton excitation microscopy,” Photonics West, Jan. 2008, Proc. of SPIE Vol. 6851, 68510D, 2008. (PDF, 2299k)
  D.T. McCormick, W. Jung, Y.-C. Ahn, Z. Chen, and N.C. Tien, “A three dimensional real-time MEMS based optical biopsy system for in-vivo clinical imaging “, The 14th International Conference on Solid-State Sensors, Actuators and Microsystems, Lyon, France, June 10-14, 2007 (PDF, 788k)
  D. T. McCormick, W. Jung, Y.-C. Ahn, V. Milanović, Z. Chen, N. C. Tien, “A MEMS Based Optical Coherence Tomography Imaging System and Optical Biopsy Probes for Real-Time, High Resolution in-vivo and in-vitro 2-D OR 3-D Imaging,” 2006 IEEE/LEOS Optical MEMS and Their Applications Conf., Big Sky, Montana, Aug. 23, 2006 (PDF, 857k)