Imaging Systems and Applications (IS)
Events
Imaging Systems and Applications (IS)
18-21, August 2025
Seattle, WA
IS covers the latest advances in the research, design and engineering of imaging devices and systems used in medical, consumer, industrial and military applications.
The topical meeting highlights the applications of imaging systems in all areas, including microscopy, remote sensing, photography, medical devices, consumer products, airborne and astronomical observations and cinematography. It brings together experts from many different scientific and engineering disciplines who contribute to the design and integration of optics, sensors, digital processing and displays in imaging systems.
IS captures the latest advances in light gathering optics, image sensor architectures and technology, on- and off-chip digital image processing and compression techniques. It also covers the integration of the emerging field of flat optics into advanced imaging systems.
Optica Imaging Congress
3D Image Acquisition and Display: Technology, Perception and Applications (3D)
Computational Optical Sensing and Imaging (COSI)
Digital Holography and Three-Dimensional Imaging (DH)
Propagation Through and Characterization of Atmospheric
and Oceanic Phenomena (pcAOP)
Radiographic Imaging and Tomography (RadIT)
Topic Categories
Imaging Systems and Applications (IS)
The Imaging Systems and Applications (IS) Topical meeting covers the latest advances in the research, design, and engineering of imaging devices and systems used in medical, consumer, industrial, and military applications.
Topics of Interest
- Advances in Astronomical Imaging
- Advances in Biomedical Imaging
- Advances in Microscopic Imaging
- Compact and Lightweight Imaging Systems Including Flat Optics, Meta-Optics or Nano-Optics and Their Applications
- Ethical and Social Considerations in Imaging
- Human Vision System Corrections and Ophthalmic Devices
- Hyper- and Multi-Spectral Imaging Systems
- Image Processing, Including Image Compression Techniques
- Image Segmentation and Understanding
- Imaging for Autonomous Vehicles
- Imaging for Endoscopic Applications
- Imaging in Agriculture
- Imaging in Homeland Security and Military Applications
- Imaging in Photonic Free Space Communication Systems
- Imaging Sensors for Mobile Computing And AR/VR Applications
- Imaging Systems Including Deep Learning Microscopy
- Industrial and Visual Inspection Approaches
- Label Free Imaging Including OCT, SRS, CARS, Photoacoustic, IR Microscopy, Photothermal
- Machine Learning for Optical System Design
- Nanoscopy and System Design for Super Resolution Imaging
- Novel Imaging Optics/Systems
- Novel Imaging Systems for Imaging Through a Scattering Medium
- Photographic and Moving Pictures Imaging Systems
Invited Speakers
- Alex Chapiro, Meta Reality Labs Research, United States
Computational Displays and Psychophysics - Scott Daly, Dolby Laboratories, Inc., United States
Eight Ages of Image Quality - Mauricio Delbracio, Google LLC, United States
Image Restoration through Inversion by Direct Iteration (InDI) - Dan Fu, University of Washington, United States
Quantitative Stimulated Raman Scattering Imaging: From Small Molecules to Tissues - Yuan Luo, National Taiwan University, Taiwan
Optical Metasurface for Biomedical Applications - Aaron Nicholls, Meta Reality Labs, United States
Quantifying Visual Experience for Perceptual Research - Kaspar Podgorski, Allen Institute for Neural Dynamics, United States
Measuring Input-Output Operations of Mouse Cortical Neurons Using Synaptic Imaging - Michelle Sander, Boston University, United States
Label-Free Molecular Imaging of Cells and their Thermal Diffusion Dynamics - Shy Shoham, New York University, United States
Recent Advances in Bidirectional Optical-Acoustic Neural Interfacing - Caleb Stoltzfus, Alpenglow Biosciences, United States
Scalable Machine Learning Based Image Segmentation and Analysis Pipelines - Karel Svoboda, Allen Institute for Neural Dynamics,
Imaging the Structure and Function of the Brain on Multiple Scales - Adam Wax, Duke University, United States
Recent Advances in Low Cost OCT - Sixian You, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, United States
Deep, 3D, High Resolution Metabolic Imaging - Val Zwiller, Kungliga Tekniska Hogskolan Kista, Sweden
Plenary Speakers
Ying 'Melissa' Geng
Meta Reality Labs Research, UNITED STATES
Pushing the limits of VR displays (without breaking them)
Over the last decade, VR displays grew from early prototypes — held together by duct tape — to compelling consumer products used by millions. This talk describes the optical innovations necessary to realize this transformation, including addressing longstanding challenges in contrast and form-factor. While pursuing practical display architectures, we also built a new wave of prototypes, ones that push beyond the current generation and show the experiential impact that further breakthroughs in FOV, resolution, brightness, contrast and accommodation may yet bring. We’ll report not just the technological developments, but also our efforts to widely share this work through better-than-duct-taped public demos, beginning the cycle anew.
About the Speaker
Ying "Melissa" Geng is a research manager of “Optics, Photonics and Light Systems” at Reality Labs Research, Meta, where she leads investigations into advanced optics and display technologies. Together with her team, Melissa has explored “pancake” optics, carrying them from early incubation in 2015 to a successful transfer to product. More recently, she has led efforts to create a hyperrealistic VR demo — featuring above-retinal resolution, high brightness, and high contrast — demonstrating a step change in visual experiences that is the closest to “passing the visual Turing test” yet. Melissa’s prior research also includes studies on high-resolution retinal imaging using adaptive optics. She holds a Ph.D. in Optics from the University of Rochester.
Pietro Ferraro
Institute of Applied Sciences and Intelligent Systems "Eduardo Caianiello" (ISASI-CNR), Italy
Beyond Labels: Enhanced 3D Live Cell Imaging Combined with Flow Cytometry
This presentation explores cutting-edge advancements in label-free 3D live cell imaging, integrating high-throughput flow cytometry with tomographic microscopy. We demonstrate how this combined approach overcomes limitations of traditional 2D and fluorescence-based methods, enabling detailed visualization of cellular architecture and dynamics without the perturbations of labeling. This label-free technique opens new avenues for studying cell cycle progression, cell-drug interactions and other dynamic biological processes, offering valuable insights into cellular function and behavior.
About the Speaker
Pietro Ferraro is Director of Research at the CNR Institute of Applied Sciences and Intelligent Systems (ISASI), Italy. He served as ISASI Director from 2014 to 2019 and President of CNR Research Area in Pozzuoli from 2012 to 2019. Ferraro has held leadership roles in various organizations and worked as Principal Investigator with Alenia Aeronautics from 1988 to 1993. His research spans holography, microscopy, micro-nanostructures, non-destructive testing and optical sensors, with over 350 journal papers, 20,000 citations and 14 patents. A Fellow of both Optica and SPIE, he received the SPIE Gabor Award and served on the Scientific and Technical Committee for the Italian Space Agency from 2018 to 2023.
Industry Program
The Industry Program at the Optica Imaging Congress enhances the engagement between attendees from academia, industry and government.
Background
The 2025 Industry Program focuses on two key aspects in the contemporary imaging industry: human vision factors and machine learning. The knowledge of human vision factors is essential to design and optimize optics and imaging processing in consumer imaging products. It is also important to understand the potential and limitations of machine learning in the imaging process, especially for bio-medical applications.
2025 Industry Chairs
Lisa Belodoffa
Bell Collaborative, USA, Industry Chair
Francisco Imai
Apple Inc., USA, Industry Co-Chair
Human Factors in Imaging
Tuesday, 19 August 18:00 - 19:00
Moderator: Francisco Imai, Apple Inc., USA
The panel on “Human Factors in Imaging” will have experts in image quality and human vision from industry discussing about image quality in direct view and near-eye displays, key perceptual research questions, role of machine learning in visual perception, quantification of visual comfort in imaging systems and opportunities to create synergy between image visual perception research and optics.
Speakers
Alex Chapiro
Meta Reality Labs Research, UNITED STATES
Scott Daly
Dolby Laboratories, Inc.
Aaron Nicholls
Meta Reality Labs, UNITED STATES
Frontiers in Imaging - Trends in Machine Learning and Biological Imaging
Wednesday, 20 August 12:00 - 13:00
Quinault Ballroom
Moderator: Francisco Imai, Apple Inc., USA
Experts in image processing, machine learning and biological sciences discuss how machine learning can overcome limitations in optics in imaging systems, as well as trade-offs in applying machine learning to signal processing and inverse problems, potential issues of hallucinations in machine learning and on unsolved challenges in biological imaging.
Speakers
Mauricio Delbracio
Google LLC, UNITED STATES
Caleb Stoltzfus
Alpenglow Biosciences, UNITED STATES
Jérôme Lecoq
Allen Institute, UNITED STATES
