“If we see some promising capabilities or approaches, we’ll be able to take full advantage of that,” said Mikhail Vorontsov, Wright Brothers-endowed chair in UD’s School of Engineering and chief technology officer for Optonicus, based in Dayton’s Tech Town business park.
Vorontsov will be the principal investigator in the federally funded Multidisciplinary University Research Initiative, joining the Air Force Institute of Technology, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, New York University and six Ivy League schools. The schools will study how the earth’s curve, atmosphere and other factors affect optical systems and laser communication, which can carry information over longer distances with less power consumption than microwave towers.
Optonicus, which seeks to commercialize sensor research, has 12 employees and will hire another 10 in the next six months, said Robert Markovich, the company’s chief executive. His company conducts research not just with UD, but with the University of Maryland and the Air Force Research Laboratory.
“They (research projects) drive new hiring in the Dayton area,” Markovich said.
Vorontsov said he may hire two scientists and perhaps three students. UD said the project can be extended for two years.
Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2390 or tgnau@DaytonDailyNews.com.
About the Author
