A new generation of micromachines is coming to market. So far, commercial versions of tiny sensors and actuators built on silicon chips have performed simple tasks such as switching telecommunication signals on and off or triggering air bag deployment. The next wave of microelectromechanical systems-or MEMS-however, should bring devices that perform a broader range of tasks cheaply and efficiently. MEMX, a spinoff of Sandia National Laboratories in Albuquerque, NM, is commercializing advanced versions of the technology in products that could transform everything from eye surgery to cell-phone reception.

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