An apparatus and a camera system are provided. The apparatus includes an imaging screen configured to diffuse incoming light, and a lens system coupled to the imaging screen and configured to focus light from the imaging screen onto a CMOS image sensor. The imaging screen includes a ceramic diffuser layer fused into a surface of a glass substrate, and a thickness of the ceramic diffuser layer is within a range of about 7-10 m.

An apparatus includes a plurality of connector track elements, each extending substantially perpendicularly from a coupling plane, wherein a particular connector track element of the plurality of connector track elements includes a distribution of at least two magnets adjacent unattached end thereof, a polarity of the magnets on the particular connector track element being selected to provide magnetic repulsion as to at least one adjacent connector track element.

An apparatus includes a plurality of connector track elements, each extending substantially perpendicularly from a coupling plane, wherein a particular connector track element of the plurality of connector track elements includes a distribution of at least two magnets adjacent unattached end thereof, a polarity of the magnets on the particular connector track element being selected to provide magnetic repulsion as to at least one adjacent connector track element.

An apparatus includes a photonic integrated circuit having an optical phased array, where the optical phased array includes multiple unit cells. Each unit cell includes (i) an antenna element configured to transmit or receive optical signals and (ii) a phase modulator configured to modify phases of the optical signals being transmitted or received by the antenna element. The apparatus also includes a gyroscopic sensor configured to sense movement of the photonic integrated circuit, where at least a portion of the gyroscopic sensor is integrated within the photonic integrated circuit.

An apparatus for driving and position sensing in a comb-drive actuator includes a generator, a driver circuit, sensing circuitry, and signal processing circuitry. The generator is configured to apply a sensing-voltage to a first electrode of the comb-drive actuator. The driver circuit is configured to apply a drive-voltage to a second electrode of the comb-drive actuator, having an opposite polarity relative to the first electrode. The sensing circuitry is configured to measure at the second electrode a sensed-waveform resulting from the sensing-voltage applied to the first electrode. The signal processing circuitry is configured to estimate a position of the first electrode relative to the second electrode based on the sensed-waveform.

An apparatus includes a photonic integrated circuit having an optical phased array, where the optical phased array includes multiple unit cells. Each unit cell includes (i) an antenna element configured to transmit or receive optical signals and (ii) a phase modulator configured to modify phases of the optical signals being transmitted or received by the antenna element. The apparatus also includes a gyroscopic sensor configured to sense movement of the photonic integrated circuit, where at least a portion of the gyroscopic sensor is integrated within the photonic integrated circuit.

An automated fiber optic patch-panel/cross-connect system comprised of a stacked arrangement of multiple replaceable modules, including a first multiplicity of fiber modules, each with a second multiplicity of reconfigurable internal fiber connectors; a common robot module shared among fiber modules, wherein any connector within a fiber module in the system can be moved to any other connector of any other fiber module in the system; a power management module that distributes electrical power to the fiber modules and the robot module; and a server module that generates commands that are placed on communication bus to activate robot and fiber modules. The modules are physically separated and spatially arranged to be serviced replaced without interrupting fiber connections previously established in the system.

Optical cross connects and methods for use therewith are described herein. In an embodiment, an optical cross connect includes first and second mirror arrays, first and second light sources that respectively emit first and second color coded light beams (e.g., each of which includes red, green and blue light), and first and second cameras configured to respectively capture first and second color images of the first and second color coded light beams reflected respectively from the first and second mirror arrays. The optical cross connect also includes a controller configured to perform closed loop feedback control of the first and second mirror arrays, based on the first and second color images, when the controller controls how optical signals are transferred between individual optical fibers in a first bundle of optical fibers and individual optical fibers in a second bundle of optical fibers.

Mechanisms and designs of large scale, modular, robotic software-defined patch-panels incorporate numerous features that ensure reliable operation. A telescopic arm assembly (104) with actuated gripper mechanism (103) is used to transport internally latching connectors (101) within a stacked array of translatable rows (102). A unique two-state magnetic latching feature provides reliable, low loss optical connections. Flexible, magnetically levitated internal structures are provided to assist the robot in automatically aligning to, engaging, and disengaging any internal connection in a fast reliable process within the stacked array.

An optical circuit switch includes a fiber hole array, a plurality of internal optical fibers, a collimating lens array, a MEMS mirror array, and a reflective surface. The fiber hole array includes an array of receptacles shaped to accept respective internal optical fibers. The collimating lens array is positioned adjacent to the fiber hole array. Each collimator of the collimating lens array optically couples light into or out of a corresponding one of the internal optical fibers. The fiber hole array, the collimator, the MEMS mirror array and the reflective surface are positioned relative to one another such that light exiting each of the internal optical fibers passes through its corresponding collimator and is redirected by a first mirror within the MEMS array towards the reflective surface, which directs the light back towards a second mirror of the MEMS mirror array, which in turn redirects the light towards a second internal optical fiber.