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Spinoff story
Light-Analysis Software Explodes across Industries
A real-world story of NASA technology finding a life beyond the mission.
About this technology
Overview
Under two SBIR contracts with the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Lambda Research Corporation of Littleton, Massachusetts, developed its TracePro light ray-tracing software in the mid-1990s to help engineers predict stray light in imagers. Since then, the program_the first of its kind compatible with computer-aided design software_has found uses in industries as diverse as overhead lighting, light pipes for electronics, solar collection, noninvasive health monitoring, laser surgical devices, car dashboard displays, optics for missile systems, and more.