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A Day in a Life With Dr. Khaled Gommed

Engineer at the Energy Center and director of the Microfluidic
Technologies Laboratory • Has worked at the Technion for 31 years
• Trained as a mechanical engineer and spent many years working
on the development of lab-on-a-chip (LOC) systems and cleanroom
technologies • Is currently developing experimental systems for
creating optical components under microgravity conditions •
60, married and father of four, lives in Yafa an-Naseriyye

Research conducted in Prof. Bercovici’s lab has developed groundbreaking
technology for using liquid polymer to create lenses and curved mirrors quickly and
with an extraordinary degree of accuracy. This technology will significantly reduce the
manufacturing costs of eyeglass lenses and help millions who do not currently have
access to eyeglasses. Meanwhile, it will also make it possible to manufacture giant
lenses and mirrors (which are too large to be launched from Earth) in space for use in
space telescopes. To test out the technology, Prof. Bercovici, Dr. Gommed and their
team from the lab took parabolic flights that simulate zero gravity conditions.

Faculty of Mechanical Engineering | MEgazine | 33