Biophotonics Engineering

Biophotonics Engineering

Development of Innovative Tools for Diagnostic and Control

Our biophotonics team produces photonic instruments meeting the needs of life science industries such as agriculture, agri-food, marine resources, environment, and even biomedical sectors. We develop innovative technological solutions through consultancy services and collaborative projects.

Technology Services

Custom Instrumentation

  • Optical design and modeling
  • Integration and assembly of optical components
  • Proofs of concept, demonstrators, prototypes,
  • Technology transfer

Optical Metrology / Diagnostic Assistance

  • Measurement and analysis of UV-VIS-IR radiation
  • Calibration and characterization of optical systems
  • Signal processing and analysis (AI and statistics)

* Can also lead to a connection with our network of members/partners.

We are involved at every stage of the innovation process. We can also initiate and/or participate in collaborative projects (at regional, national or international level) to develop an innovative product. Don’t hesitate to contact us for any biophotonics project.

Our references

Examples of applications

Phenotyping

  • Varietal selection
  • Reflectance measurement with onboard multispectral lidar (VIS-IR)
  • Plant stress detection

Agricultural Robotics

  • Robotic vision for decision-making
  • In-situ measurement with hyperspectral imaging
  • Detection (deep learning, YOLOv5) and segmentation (R-CNN) of plants
  • High prediction rate of harvesting

Quality Control

  • Qualification from raw material to transformed product
  • Absorbance, fluorescence and Raman measurements
  • Statistical analysis of optical signals

Laboratory Experimentation

  • Identification and quantification of biological compounds
  • Absorbance, fluorescence and Raman measurements
  • Optical microscopy

From the Laboratory to the Field

Optical Laboratory

Instrument development and qualification in a controlled environment, free from external disturbance.

Outdoor Laboratory

Confronting instruments to real conditions (natural solar radiation, bad weather, movements) for their characterization and the validation of intermediate steps.

On Site

In-situ photonics instruments installation and operational evaluation (factories, laboratories, experimental stations, in the field…).

Optical Laboratory

Instrument development and qualification in a controlled environment, free from external disturbance.

Outdoor Laboratory

Confronting instruments to real conditions (natural solar radiation, bad weather, movements) for their characterization and the validation of intermediate steps.

On Site

In-situ photonics instruments installation and operational evaluation (factories, laboratories, experimental stations, in the field…).

Focus on Agrophotonics

Photonics offers a wide range of opportunities for agriculture and the agrifood industry, using light-based technologies to diagnose, monitor and guarantee food safety. It is used at every step of the production chain: seed, farming, harvesting and sorting, processing, quality control and finally, retail. This is known as agrophotonics.

Given that Brittany is the first agricultural region in France and the first agri-food region in Europe, it is only natural that Photonics Bretagne would make the strategic decision to develop its agrophotonics expertise to address the issues associated with livestock farming, crops and product processing.

A Strategic Partnership with ARVALIS

Our partnership with Arvalis aims to accelerate the use of photonics innovations for agricultural applications. New solutions developed to monitor better the crops and their growth environment will lead to a more precise and frugal farming.

As an agricultural technical institute, Arvalis brings its knowledge of the constraints and challenges of the agricultural sector. Arvalis also makes its experimentation resources available for the production of agronomic reference data (nationwide trial networks and field phenotyping tools).

The Start-Up POP

The end of 2022 marked the start of discussions between Photonics Bretagne and Arvalis on a technology transfer, with a view to the start-up’s operational launch in 2023. Founded by 4 engineers from Lannion, Photonics Open Projects (POP) is the first company to be created as a result of work carried out within the agrophotonics partnership between Photonics Bretagne and Arvalis.

POP develops intelligent hyperspectral compressive sensors. It is supported by the Emergys Bretagne incubator, the Initiative Trégor network, the Anticipa technology park and URSCOP (Union Régionale des SCOP).

Find out more

Photonics Bretagne

Sector Coordination

Training

Fibres & Components

Biophotonics

Optical Fibres

Components