Active Pixel Sensors - giving science a new image
Professor Nigel Allinson of the University of Sheffield is leading a four year £4.4 million national programme to ensure that the UK scientific community gets the maximum benefit from the enormous potential of Active Pixel Sensors.
Active Pixel Sensors (APS) are pixel-based imaging devices based on mainstream CMOS technology. They are revolutionising the world of commercial imaging and the programme aims to exploit their generic benefits of low-power, high-speed, cost-effectiveness, flexibility and high levels of on-chip integration.
In order to ensure that UK scientists don't miss out on these benefits, this national project has been set up. It has already advanced the capabilities and application of APS for a raft of scientific and technological endeavours including healthcare, space, security and life sciences.
Called 'Multidimensional Integrated Intelligent Imaging' (M-I3), the project is a consortium of eleven research centres which are aiming to break the constraints of current scientific imaging by exploiting state-of-the-art APS technology.
The M-I3 consortium includes the Universities of Sheffield, Glasgow, Liverpool, Surrey and York, Brunel University, University College London, STFC Rutherford-Appleton Laboratory, MRC Laboratory for Molecular Biology and the Institute of Cancer Research.
It's supported by an RC-UK Basic Technology Programme £4.4 million grant which started funding the project in June 2004 and is due to finish in June 2008. The consortium will continue and is seeking funding to meet the grand challenges of scientific imaging.
"By exploiting Active Pixel Sensor technology, we can break the constraints of current scientific imaging across a raft of scientific or technological disciplines," says Professor Allinson,
He adds that, "The Basic Technology Research Programme contributes to the development of a generic technology base. This can be adapted to a diverse range of scientific research problems and challenges, spanning the interests of all disciplines and all of the Research Councils."
As the consortium's recent independent review stated, "Active Pixel sensors make sense! Welcome to the innovation generation!"
Download a copy of the press release (PDF, 1.5MB)
For further information, please contact Professor Nigel Allinson at:
tel: 0114 222 5412
email : n.allinson@sheffield.ac.uk
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