04/22/2003  Akustica Inc. has launched its first product – a MEMS-based acoustic microphone chip.

04/21/2003  A new report says that 2002 sales of MEMS devices for optical networking were strong despite the continued tough telecom market.

04/01/2003 

03/13/2003  Crossbow Technology Inc., a San Jose, Calif., provider of wireless MEMS sensor networks, announced the launch of its "Smart-Dust-Service" program to provide technical support and consulting services.

03/07/2003  You could say MEMS has a vested interest in motorcycle safety. Two companies are developing a vest that contains three air bags and gas generators to protect a motorcycle rider in an accident. The air bags, governed by a system that includes MEMS accelerometers and gyroscopes, deploy into a protective balloon-shaped cushion by breaking through the vest's seams. But a motorcyclist group is curbing its enthusiasm.

02/28/2003  Blacksky Corp., a Carlsbad, Calif.-based maker of consumer model rockets, has chosen MEMSIC Inc.'s dual-axis MEMS sensor in a precision event timer, according to a news release.

02/27/2003  The telecom drought hasn't dried up all hope for optical MEMS, according to a new report.

02/14/2003  It will be some time before NASA can say whether damage to the fragile insulating tiles that cover the underbelly of the space shuttle caused the Columbia to disintegrate on Feb. 1. What is known for certain is Columbia was destroyed by a “thermal event,” and the shuttle program uses thermal protection technology that is decades old. NASA will increasingly look to small tech for ways to avert future tragedies.

02/12/2003  Launching the next MEMS device that duplicates the success of the air bag accelerometer will require a closer bond between makers and sellers, according to a new MEMS Industry Group report. "Focus on Fabrication" found that the largest issue looming in the MEMS industry is lack of standardized materials and processes in making MEMS devices.

02/07/2003  Corning IntelliSense Corp., a division of Corning Inc., said it is working with Northrop Grumman Corp. to demonstrate the reliability of radio frequency (RF) MEMS switches for defense applications, according to a news release.

02/06/2003  Tronic's Microsystems SA, a France-based designer and maker of MEMS devices, has hired Peter Pfluger as its chief executive officer, according to a news release.

02/06/2003  Network Photonics, a Boulder, Colo.-based developer of MEMS-based optical switches, said it's shipping its CrossWave 1400 to customers.

02/04/2003  Emkay Innovative Products, a division of Knowles Electronics, said it has launched a microphone based on MEMS technology.

01/31/2003  Analog Devices Inc. has named William Giudice vice president and general manager for the Micromachined Products Division, which includes MEMS product development and manufacturing.

01/30/2003  The use of MEMS devices in vehicles is expected to nearly double in the next five years, despite the automotive industry's historically slow rollout of the technology beyond air bag accelerometers and manifold air pressure sensors, according to a new report.

01/22/2003  Microvision Inc., a Bothell, Wash., developer of MEMS-based light scanning technologies, announced it has signed two agreements for development of automotive display prototypes, according to a company news release.

01/21/2003 

01/10/2003  NanoVia LP of Londonderry, N.H., said it has developed a diffractive optic dicing tool for cutting holes and slots in micro tubing for MEMS devices.

01/09/2003  Four businesses have struck a partnership to offer unified MEMS product development, an effort to jump-start broader industrial interest in microtechnology. The Generics Group crafted the deal with Coventor Inc. Epigem Ltd. and LioniX BV. The main goal is to give customers an easier way to integrate MEMS into their products.

01/09/2003  Joseph Mallon, chairman of the board of Fairfield, N.J.-based sensor provider Measurement Specialties Inc., will step down from his position effective Jan. 31 to pursue other opportunities, according to a news release. He will remain a member of the board.