GOLETA, Calif. - It is smaller than a grain of rice, but a component in the KYOCERA SLD Laser is producing results with more power, distance and performance than most of us have ever seen. President and Co-Founder James Raring says the use of lasers is far from what the average person thinks when they envision a stream of light.

The US manufacturer SLD Laser has launched the first white light chip with a switching function. On command, it transforms into an IR emitter with 905nm and 850nm. Both light sources are housed on the same 7x7mm chip. SMDs are also available with a starboard to facilitate mounting onto the circuit board.

It may be a while before we see a fully autonomous car capable of conquering a Canadian winter, but local research is paying off huge dividends