Abstract: A multi-edge snowboard includes multiple boards with attached bindings. A pivot mechanism that connects the bindings to the boards rotates each board, so that each board can provide an active edge that engages the snow during turning or stopping. The increase in the number of active edges relative to a conventional snowboard improves the performance of the multi-edge snowboard, while the binding structure retains the feel of a conventional snowboard.

Abstract: A multi-edge snowboard includes multiple boards with attached bindings. A pivot mechanism that connects the bindings to the boards rotates each board, so that each board can provide an active edge that engages the snow during turning or stopping. The increase in the number of active edges relative to a conventional snowboard improves the performance of the multi-edge snowboard, while the binding structure retains the feel of a conventional snowboard.

Abstract: Structures including piezoelectric actuators, actuator arrays, and deformable mirrors and processes for fabricating the structures are provided. The fabrication processes can manufacture arrays of actuators including piezoelectric materials using wafer-processing techniques. The actuators include piezoelectric layers sandwiched between electrodes that are mounted on flexures that provide electrical connections. The piezoelectric layers can be formed on sacrificial layers while flexures are formed in trenches or vias through the sacrificial layers. Removal of the sacrificial layers frees the piezoelectric layer and permits the piezoelectric layers to dish or warp when providing the actuator action. Alternative embodiments include actuators that are bimorphs or Rainbows.

Abstract: A cube corner reflector is oriented so that incident and reflected beams either entirely miss the edges at the intersections of reflective surfaces or so that the beams have only peripheral portions incident on the edges. A symmetry plane of the cube corner reflector is midway between the incident and reflected beams of the cube corner reflector and contains the central axis of the cube corner reflector and one of the edges between the reflective surfaces. For a minimum size reflector that permits the tight beam spacing, trimmed surfaces perpendicular to the symmetry plane are at different distances from the central axis. The edges, variations in the orthogonality of the reflective surfaces, and beam walk off cause less wavefront distortion that could affect measurements in systems such as interferometers.