Commentary

Enter a photonics contest that impacts the world

Oct. 5, 2015

If your company or academic group is having an impact on our world, then enter the OSA's Enabled by Optics Contest.

If your company or academic group is having an impact on our world, then enter the OSA's Enabled by Optics Contest--it will help you demonstrate the effect that your product or a technology can have and give your company or colleagues well-earned recognition.

Laser Focus World is partnering with The Optical Society (OSA) for this contest because it does more than give you a chance to promote your product or a technology. It helps the world understand the importance of optics and photonics in areas as diverse as healthcare, communications, security, and manufacturing.

There are two categories of entries:

1. Company Contest & Prize:

Your company will be featured by OSA and Laser Focus World to recognize and explain how your innovative technology enables products and impacts the world. Recognition will continue throughout OSA's 2016 Centennial Year, with a special video produced for CLEO 2016, and special exposure to policy makers showing how optics affects our world.

Contest entries will be judged by members of the OSA Industry Development Associates Committee and Laser Focus World, who will determine the finalists and then the contest winner. They will consider:

- Impact on Society: Demonstrate the economical, behavioral, and human impact on Society

- Uniqueness: How do you differentiate your technology from others?

- Creativity: Inspire the judges with your story

Past winners are Lumentum (formerly JDSU) for its light sources used in 3D sensing technologies and Trojan Technologies for its advanced water disinfection solutions that use UV light in place of chemicals. They were selected from entries by many large and small companies.

CLICK here for more details and the company entry form.

2. Student Contest & Prize:

In a video format, take apart any product that has an optical component, and show how optics technology is required to make the product work. For example, select a consumer product (eg, LED lighting, solar cells, a flat panel display, a smart phone or digital camera--or any other product of your choice). The prize includes $500 and lots of exposure for the video at OSA events, on the Laser Focus World website, and as an educational tool.

Videos will be partially judged based on the number of “likes” as well as by members of the OSA Industry Development Associates Committee and Laser Focus World, who will consider:

- Story Telling: Enlighten us with how the optical component contributes to the end-user experience in the chosen product

- Creativity: Inspire the judges with your story

- Length: Suggested length 2-3 minutes and no more than 5 minutes

CLICK here for videos by past winners from around the world!

CLICK here for more details and the student entry form.

For more about Enabled by Optics, check out the website: http://www.osa.org/en-us/corporate_gateway/events_programs/enabled_by_optics/

About the Author

Conard Holton | Editor at Large

Conard Holton has 25 years of science and technology editing and writing experience. He was formerly a staff member and consultant for government agencies such as the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority and the International Atomic Energy Agency, and engineering companies such as Bechtel. He joined Laser Focus World in 1997 as senior editor, becoming editor in chief of WDM Solutions, which he founded in 1999. In 2003 he joined Vision Systems Design as editor in chief, while continuing as contributing editor at Laser Focus World. Conard became editor in chief of Laser Focus World in August 2011, a role in which he served through August 2018. He then served as Editor at Large for Laser Focus World and Co-Chair of the Lasers & Photonics Marketplace Seminar from August 2018 through January 2022. He received his B.A. from the University of Pennsylvania, with additional studies at the Colorado School of Mines and Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University.