Optical sensor

Patients who remain in bed for long periods of time may develop pressure sores, which can in turn become potentially life-threatening chronic skin ulcers. A new sensor could help keep that from happening, using scattered light.

​OK, we know that tiny houses are becoming increasingly popular, but this is really taking things to an extreme. In order to demonstrate the capabilities of a new nanorobotic system, French scientists have built a "microhouse" that sits on the cleaved end of an optical fiber.

MIT scientists may be bringing a new level of accuracy to epidurals, developing a scattered-light sensor that can be embedded in the tip of a needle to ensure anesthesiologists hit the right spot.

With too much salt applied to road surfaces to prevent icing having a detrimental effect on vehicles, infrastructure and the environment, engineers at Carlos III University have developed an optical sensor that can detect the amount of salt on the road in real time.