Summary
Andy Kurtz, Chief Research Officer at Circle Optics, is heading to Photonics West this year and is being recognized as our January Employee of the Month. With decades of experience in systems-level optical research, Andy shares why this event continues to matter and how vendor engagement helps move advanced imaging systems toward manufacturable, real-world deployment.
As Chief Research Officer at Circle Optics, Andy Kurtz brings decades of systems level research experience to a company operating at the intersection of advanced optics, real time imaging, and emerging aviation and security applications. This January, Circle Optics recognizes Kurtz as Employee of the Month as he prepares to attend SPIE Photonics West, the world’s largest annual gathering focused on optics and photonics research, components, and manufacturing.
Circle Optics COO Ian Gauger points to Kurtz’s early and lasting influence on the company. “Andy was one of our earliest employees and has provided great value in his time at Circle,” Gauger says. “In particular, he has made significant contributions to our intellectual property and company culture.”
For Kurtz, research at its best is inherently collaborative. Modern optical systems sit at the intersection of optics, mechanics, electronics, and software, disciplines that must work together despite competing constraints. Comfort with uncertainty matters, as does the ability to adapt when outcomes shift. Equally important is lateral thinking, the ability to move fluidly between detailed problem solving and system level perspective. “And finally,” he adds, “you need a really good sense of humor.”
What continues to draw Kurtz to Circle Optics is the opportunity to work on complex systems whose full potential is still emerging. When he joined the company, the technology reminded him of early laser development, powerful capabilities in search of the right applications. While immersive cinema and virtual reality capture remain important, Circle Optics’ real time, low parallax, multi camera imaging systems have opened the door to broader use cases.
He is particularly energized by UAV and eVTOL applications, especially optical detect and avoid systems designed to reduce collision risk as aviation evolves. Through ongoing customer discovery, Circle Optics continues to uncover new ways its imaging technology can support this emerging landscape.
Kurtz estimates he has attended Photonics West roughly twenty times over the course of his career. Over that span, the event has expanded significantly, evolving into multiple parallel conferences such as OPTO, LASE, and BIOS. The growth reflects the increasing breadth of the optics field, though not without gaps. Image sensor companies, for example, remain surprisingly under represented given their central role in modern imaging systems. Even so, the scale and density of expertise concentrated in one place remains unmatched.
“It is the largest annual optical conference and expo that I am aware of,” Kurtz says. “Papers span several broad technical areas, and the array of exhibiting vendors is both wide and deep.”
This year, his focus reflects where Circle Optics sits in its development arc. Rather than prioritizing technical paper sessions, Kurtz is spending most of his time on the exhibit floor, engaging directly with suppliers and manufacturers whose capabilities shape what is feasible as systems move toward production. His objectives include exploring vendor relationships that could support the commercialization of Circle Optics’ Hydra and Pegasus camera systems, as well as assessing component options for the Intrepid borescope project.
Kurtz’s path into research and development began early. As a sophomore in high school, he watched a NOVA episode on PBS titled Light of the 21st Century. At the time, laser technology was described as a solution looking for a problem. The program left a lasting impression. In an era before home recording, he watched the rebroadcast a week later, then mailed five dollars to receive a printed copy.
“That experience stuck with me,” he recalls. “By the time I was ready for college, I discovered the University of Rochester had an optics program, and that’s what I wanted to study. I struggled to have a backup plan. Journalism, perhaps?”
That early curiosity led to a career spanning Kodak’s R and D Labs and later IMAX, where Kurtz served as Principal Scientist and Director of R and D. Over the course of his career, he has been named on over 125 patents in his own right, reflecting a sustained commitment to solving complex problems through disciplined, collaborative research.
As Kurtz heads to Photonics West, Circle Optics sees the event less as a conference and more as a working forum, a place where conversations with suppliers and partners help translate advanced optical research into manufacturable, deployable systems. The value lies not only in what is presented, but in what becomes possible when the right expertise meets the right moment.
