|
TECHNOLOGY HELPS RETAILERS MAINTAIN PROFITS
Yet another 'who knew' application for optical technology!
According to Gatekeeper Systems (Irvine, CA), they have released
the industry's first accurate and reliable, integrated shopping
cart containment and bottom tray merchandise verification
solution, VerifEye
System.
Other uses for the system include preventing shopping carts
from leaving the parking lot and monitoring cashier performance.
Ever year bottom tray losses cost retailers roughly 2% of
their profits. Cart theft and retrieval costs an additional
$180 million annually.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
OPTICAL DEVICE FOR FINGERPRINT RECOGNITION SYSTEMS
This optical device for fingerprint recognition systems utilizes
a light source for emitting a spherical beam. On receipt of
the light source's spherical beam, a collimating hologram
produces a plane beam.
A diffuser scatters the plane beam and a prism absorbs the
scattered light at the ridges. The prism reflects light at
the valleys of the fingerprint.
An image producing hologram processes the reflected spherical
beam from the prism and condenses it on an area CCD, which
converts the fingerprint image into an electric signal.
The image producing hologram and a cutoff/absorption plate,
for cutting off and absorbing the beam, are mounted on a vertical
surface of the prism.
Get
the complete report. The Technology of the Month describes
inventions offered for license through the yet2.com marketplace.
Search over $2.5 billion of licensable technologies at http://www.nasatech.com/techsearch.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
INDUSTRY UPDATE: NEW PARTNERSHIPS
Adept
Technology (Livermore, CA) signed Modular Automation,
an assembly automation company based in the U.K., as a Preferred
Photonics Partner. Modular Automation will develop complete
photonics manufacturing solutions based on Adept automation
products, focusing on fiber preparation and handling applications.
Nufern (East Granby,
CT) has completed a distribution agreement with Elliot Scientific
to supply Nufern specialty optical fiber products and services
in the U.K. and the Republic of Ireland.
Thorlabs (Newton,
NJ) will assist Menlo Systems (München, Germany) with sales
and marketing efforts to launch Menlo's optical technologies
to both the scientific and telecommunications community. The
venture's first product to market is the FC 8003 Optical Frequency
Synthesizer, a femtosecond laser frequency comb generator.
|
