Colour-identification technology a game-changer
The invention is one of five on the Society of Manufacturing’s 2013 List of Innovations that could change the way you manufacture. An easy-to-make rainbow filter that could help users identify the true color of everything from paint to medicine has been named to the Society of Manufacturing Engineers (SME) list of 2013 Innovations that could change the way you manufacture. This year’s list includes just five items: a technique for mass producing robotic insects and other devices; super-water-repellant coatings; stronger, lighter carbon nanotubes; a more efficient welding process; and the UB invention — an “everyday spectrometer.” The technology is a rainbow-colored polymer that UB engineers created using a one-step, low-cost holographic lithography method. Employed as a filter for light, this polymer could form the basis of handheld multispectral imaging devices that identify objects’ “true colour.” Such accurate color detection could make it easier for governments to identify counterfeit money, for homeowners to match paint colors in renovation projects, and for doctors to analyse colo-urs in medical images to detect disease. There are potential applications in fields from climate monitoring to remote sensing for military and defense. Visit the following link for a video the technology:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xF2d2wUf0Gg The simple process for fabricating the polymer could make it feasible to develop small, low-cost, high-performance devices that connect with cell phones to conduct multispectral imaging. In addition, the filters can be produced at less than $US10 apiece, making them a viable, state-of-the-art alternative to the much more expensive linear variable filters that are currently used for spectral analyses. The UB researchers who led efforts to develop the technology are Alexander N. Cartwright, PhD, professor of electrical engineering and biomedical engineering and UB vice president for research and economic development, and Qiaoqiang Gan, PhD, assistant professor of electrical engineering. Both are members of UB’s […]