Optellios to Develop New Fiber-Optic System to Monitor Water Pipelines

National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has granted $660,000  to Optellios to develop a fiber-optic technology to monitor buried water pipelines. Optellios produces fiber-optic sensor devices for infrastructure monitoring and physical security applications. Optellios recently established a new plant in Newtown.

Optellios will develop a sensor that offers real-time, continuous data about the integrity of pipelines. The information provided by the sensor will help in enhancing the safety of pipeline by identifying the structural problems easily and quickly. The sensor will also help improve the maintenance of water pipelines.

The Operations Manager of Optellios, George Zisk, stated that the funds will help the company to recruit engineers and researchers to produce innovative products, which are crucial for a sustainable economy. Zisk added that the company will develop a fiber optic monitoring device, which will offer real-time information about the nature and location of sound and temperature variations across the pipelines.