AMSTERDAM, Netherlands, and CARDIFF, UK, Oct. 06, 2014—Talks on sensors and imaging technologies for monitoring crops, measuring airborne toxins, and detecting IEDs (improvised explosive devices) were among approximately 900 presentations at the recentSPIE Remote Sensing and SPIE Security + Defenceconferences co-located in Amsterdam. The events were sponsored by SPIE, the international society for optics and photonics, and ran 22-25 September.
“Together, these events provide a stimulating multidisciplinary forum for the latest research in signal processing, electro-optical system design, nanoengineering, and lasers for imaging and sensing applications,” said SPIE Senior Director Andrew Brown. “The meetings served as a fertile environment for collaboration among more than 800 scientists, researchers, engineers, and developers using these underpinning technologies for applications as diverse as exploring space, monitoring weather, and countering terrorism.”
Plenary speakers were:
Among SPIE Security + Defence presentations:
Among SPIE Remote Sensing presentations:
Snijders also chaired a session celebrating the 50th anniversary of TNO, featuring speakers from TNO, SRON and Dutch Space. Henri Werij, TNO Director of Innovation Space, and other speakers discussed trends from institutional to commercial Earth observation, technology challenges faced by designers of space instruments, the difficulties and trade-offs in project management of space instrumentation, and future opportunities.
The late Piet Schwering, longtime member of the organizing committee for the Technologies for Optical Countermeasures conference, was remembered during the opening session of Security + Defence. Schwering had been affiliated with TNO since 1987, and was a well-respected author, journal reviewer, course instructor, and conference organizer.
SPIE President Philip Stahl presented the 2014 Rudolf Kingslake Medal and Prize to Maarten Hogervorst and Alexander Toet of TNO. The prize, awarded annually for the most noteworthy original paper published in Optical Engineering, was given for the paper “Progress in color night vision” in the January 2012 issue.
A two-day exhibition connected customers with more than 30 developers and suppliers showcasing devices and systems for chemical and biological sensing, infrared sources, detectors, and sensors, lasers and other light sources, and related technologies.
The 2015 events will take place from 21 to 24 September 2015 in Toulouse, France.
Conference proceedings are being published online in the SPIE Digital Library as manuscripts are approved, with CD and print publication to follow when all manuscripts are in.
About SPIE
SPIE is the international society for optics and photonics, a not-for-profit organization founded in 1955 to advance light-based technologies. The Society serves nearly 256,000 constituents from approximately 155 countries, offering conferences, continuing education, books, journals, and a digital library in support of interdisciplinary information exchange, professional networking, and patent precedent. SPIE provided more than $3.2 million in support of education and outreach programs in 2013.