Exploration technology company Exail received a $2.2 million contract from the U.S. Coast Guard to replace obsolete gyrocompass systems on the 175-ft Keeper-class buoy tenders. The contract includes Octans gyrocompasses and Netans navigation data distribution systems and covers a base year and nine options over a 10-year performance period. Built on Exail’s fiber optic gyroscope technology, the Octans gyrocompass will provide highly reliable and precise navigation data. Complementing Octans, the Netans data distribution system will facilitate the sharing of crucial navigation information across various onboard systems. The 175-foot Keeper-class coastal buoy tenders are a new era in buoy tending. The Keeper-class cutters serve a variety of Coast Guard missions. Courtesy of U.S. Coast Guard. MINNEAPOLIS — Stratasys and Desktop Metal entered into a definitive agreement in which the companies will combine in an all-stock transaction valued at approximately $1.8 billion. The transaction unites the polymer technologies of Stratasys with the industrial mass-production capabilities of Desktop Metal’s brands under the umbrella of a single additive manufacturing company. Vuzix and Materialise will collaborate to accelerate the design and production of smart eyewear technology. Courtesy of Vuzix. ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Smart glasses and augmented reality technology company Vuzix Corp. and 3D-printing company Materialise NV collaborated to accelerate the design and production of smart eyewear using 3D-printing technology. The collaboration will enable third-party technology, sports, and entertainment brands to introduce smart eyewear to consumers using Vuzix OEM components and designs, reducing the average manufacturing cycle from 18 months to just three. Lidar built-in car lamp developed by SOSLAB and SL Corp. Courtesy of SOSLAB. SEOUL, South Korea — SOSLAB, a provider of 3D high-performance lidar hardware and software, and SL Corp., an automotive lamps manufacturer, entered into a technology development contract for the core lidar technologies and products with a goal of mass production. Through distribution of its lidar hardware and software system parts, SOSLAB will provide autonomous driving and state-of-the-art safety functions for SL Corp.’s automotive lamps. Based on the functions, SL Corp. is currently developing a lidar built-in lamp. The long-term goal of these companies is to supply the lidar built-in lamp to various vehicle models. REDMOND, Wash. — Optical technology company Lumotive and sensor and automation technology company Hokuyo Automatic established a multiyear production contract. The partnership will expedite deployment of sensor technology in robotics and autonomous systems applications. Using Lumotive’s solid-state beam steering chip, Hokuyo is preparing to produce a 3D lidar sensor based on Lumotive’s M30 reference design targeted for industrial applications. BUFFALO, N.Y. — Empire State Development joined TOPTICA and local officials to celebrate the official grand opening of the photonics company’s new, expanded location in the town of Perinton in Monroe County. TOPTICA renovated 30,000 sq ft of space at the location. The site features manufacturing labs, warehouse storage, business offices, and three ISO Class 7 clean rooms. CENTENNIAL, Colo. — NUBURU, a developer of high-power, high-brightness industrial blue laser technology, has signed a joint technology agreement with GE Additive to explore the speed, accuracy, and commercial benefits of blue laser-based metal 3D printing. GE Additive will provide a powder bed system and expertise in the integration and characterization of this next generation prototype light engine, to quantify the performance improvements over existing technology. This joint development agreement is in addition to an agreement with GE Additive to support NUBURU’s previously announced AFWERX Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II contract awarded to NUBURU in 2022. LOS ANGELES — Pixxel, a developer of hyperspectral earth-imaging technology, raised $36 million in a series B funding round with participation from new inversots including Google, along with existing investors, Radical Ventures, Lightspeed, Blume Ventures, growx, Sparta, and Athera. The funds will bolster Pixxel’s plans to launch six satellites in 2024 and 18 other satellites by 2025.