The GE Energy controls lab in Niskayuna used to be the home of some laser gear. They kept the sign (presumably to scare off visitors).

This difference has now been given a spectacular demonstration, with researchers imaging the profile of an air rifle bullet in flight with a resolution of about one micrometer (an air rifle bullet is about 5mm long). While air rifles have a rather low muzzle velocity, the researchers could have imaged the bullet from a firearm with a very high muzzle velocity and still had a resolution of about 10 micrometers.

Two lasers that are not quite twins

Old-fashioned lidar systems (and even newer lidar ones) work on the tried-and-true principle of time of flight. Basically, you send out a pulse of light, and record the time it takes to receive an echo. This is a pretty simple system, provided you don’t want very good distance accuracy.

Enlarge (credit: Aurich Lawson / Jonathan Gitlin)

NEW YORK—The New York International Auto Show opened its doors to the public on Friday morning. In recent years, it has found its place as the most important of the American auto shows—Los Angeles and Detroit have been cannibalized by CES and preempted by foreign shows, all to the Big Apple’s benefit. This year’s event didn’t disappoint, as we discovered during the press preview days held earlier this week. There will be plenty more NYIAS content from us in the next few days, but let’s kick things off with our Best Of awards.

Outstanding in the Automotive Technology Field: Nissan VC-Turbo engine

Since this is a technology publication, I’ll begin with our award for the coolest technology on display. I was tempted to give the honor to Waymo, which has just partnered with Jaguar to build tens of thousands of self-driving electric SUVs. Waymo is light years ahead of the competition for driverless technology, but these robo-taxis won’t actually be deployed for another two years, so we’ll save that one for a later date.

Another strong contender is Cadillac’s all-new V8, which will appear in a V-Sport version of the CT6 luxury sedan. It’s a 4.2L V8 putting out 550hp (410kW) and 627ft-lbs (850Nm), courtesy of twin turbochargers. These nestle on top of the engine, between the cylinders—a so-called “hot V,” as found in current Formula 1 engines. The engine will be unique to Cadillac, although it’s rumored a version with a more conventional turbocharger arrangement (with the intakes on the outside of the V) will appear in the mid-engined Corvette that’s still not confirmed but which everyone knows is on its way.