PI was started at an optics institute more than a half a century ago. Working with scientific and research customers at the cutting edge of technology has been in PI’s DNA right from the start. Keeping close relations with academia makes sure PI keeps its finger on the pulse of science and development and prepared to have the right solutions for future applications.
A quick look at Google Scholar shows hundreds of recent scientific papers where PI motion equipment and piezoelectric nanopositioning stages made a difference to the outcome of the research.
A few examples of PI’s involvement with university and government funded research are below:
Aerospace
- PI delivers equipment installed on the NASA Mars Rover on two Mars missions.
Microscopy
- The Flamingo Super Resolution Microscope Project: PI provides precision linear and rotary stages.
- Several other research projects on super resolution microscopy, from Stanford to Yale benefitted from PI’s high performance nanopositioning solutions and technical support.
Astronomy
- ALMA Telescope: PI provides 50+ Hexapods for the largest radio telescope array in the world, which contributed largely to the first image of a black hole
- ELT: PI provides 2000+ ultra-high precision hybrid nanopositioning actuators to align the mirror segments of the largest optical telescope
Materials Research
- PI works with several Universities providing custom, high performance XYZ Gantry stages for 3D printing.
Medical Research
- PI Laser Beam Steering Mirrors are used for eye research and our 6-axis hexapod robots have been used in laser microsurgery research.
Quantum Computing
- PI’s nanopositioning stages and photonics alignment stages and algorithms are employed by several researchers around the world.
Spectrometry
- PI PicoCube stages are used at the UK’s Kings College in a novel Atomic Force Spectrometer.
