Photonics Driving Economic Growth in Europe - Photonics21

2. Photonics Research and Innovation Challenges
it is conceivable that each general practitioner
practice could be supplied with such an instru-
ment for rapid, low-cost and early screening, as
well as monitoring the progress of therapeutic
regimens. The global in-vitro diagnostics market
is €45 billion 1719 .
Secure society: Enhanced protection of travelers
at airports and train stations, or visitors in public
spaces is a major application area. For example,
the detection of explosives through ‘fingerprint’
gas analysis, improved recognition of individuals
through EIR signatures (distribution of veins in
face and hands), more effective identification of
prohibited or dangerous goods through effective
large-scale cargo screening, and improved surveillance
in public spaces by identification of suspicious
persons or luggage items with unusual MIR
profiles. The worldwide security equipment market
is €76 billion 1820 .
Safer traffic: The presence of pedestrians or
animals in the road is straightforward to detect
through the infrared radiation emitted by warm
bodies, so MIR enabled night-vision offers significant
safety enhancements for night driving. Optical
time-of-flight 3D imaging for reliable daytime use in
automotive vehicles requires the use of the higher
illumination powers that are possible in the NIR
spectral range (as discussed above). Finally, rapid
low-cost checks for drivers possibly under the
influence of drugs or intoxicating beverages are
readily performed in the NIR/MIR spectral range,
without the use of any consumables. More than
60 million cars are produced worldwide every year,
all of which could benefit from the added safety
offered by these IR-enabled sensing devices 1921 .
19 Strategic Analysis of the Global In Vitro Diagnostic Market,
Frost & Sullivan, San Antonio (USA), July 2010
20 World Security Equipment to 2014 – Demand and Sales
Forecasts, Market Share, Market Size, Market Leaders,
The Freedonia Group, Cleveland (USA), December 2010
21 OICA Correspondents Survey: World Motor Vehicle
Production 2011, International Organization of
Motor Vehicle Manufacturers, Paris (F), 2011
Anti-counterfeiting: Counterfeiting accounts
for 5–7% of world trade every year, corresponding
to almost €500 billion 22 . When health-related
products, such as pharmaceutical drugs, food or
beverages are counterfeited, the indirect safety
costs of counterfeiting exceed the already enormous
economic damage. The NIR/MIR spectral
range offers novel approaches and low-cost
verification means to label products in all industrial
branches, including personal identification items,
such as passports or identity cards, as well as banknotes,
credit cards, etc..
Non-destructive testing: Safe construction of
mechanically challenging structures requires reliable,
non-destructive testing (NDT) of the employed
materials and components. In particular,
the demand for stronger and lighter weight parts
leads to a replacement of metallic elements with
composite materials, such as carbon fibres, glass
fibres and composite honeycombs. As an example,
a new Boeing 782 Dreamliner consists of 50% (by
weight) of such composite materials. Conventional
NDT techniques (e.g. X-ray, ultrasonic, eddy current
inspection) need to be complemented with novel
inspection techniques tailored for these composite
materials. The FIR spectral range offers unique
advantages for the detection of surface and subsurface
damage, such as delamination, impact
micro-fractures, porosity, etc..
22 ACG Statistics on Counterfeiting and Piracy,
The Anti-Counterfeiting Group, High Wycombe (UK), 2010
CCTV systems employing
photonics technologies ensure
increased security in public
spaces. © Fotolia
A major application area
will be providing enhanced
protection to travellers at
airports and train stations,
or citizens in public spaces.
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