That same technology can be leveraged for public safety against terrorism. Nanogen and Caliper have made DNA testing modules that use electrophoresis to break molecules up for analysis. The Berkeley Sensor and Actuator Center at the University of California at Berkeley has produced a variety of prototypes, including micro-robots and even a micro solid rocket engine for 1 mg payloads. It has also made a number of different scanning mirror assemblies. One is an array of tilting mirrors.
Bolometers convert heat to an electronic signal.
They provide accurate IR detection but require long integration times. One way to reduce integration time is to make the bolometer smaller, and MEMS technology provides a way to make a heat-sensitive transducer microscopically small. In the past year, Sandia developed what it calls photonic lattices and crystals. MEMS technology is no longer just for miniature mechanical devices. It is opening up a wide range of possibilities and new applications.