TU Delft appoints three Antoni van Leeuwenhoek professors

Dr. Paul Planken
Dr Paul Planken (43) works in the field of terahertz microscopy, an imaging technique which enables you to ''see'' using infrared light instead of visible light. Terahertz radiation (which has a frequency of around 1012 Hz) is a form of electromagnetic radiation that has not yet been very widely used in the production of images. However, there are reasons to assume that it has great potential. Many materials which block visible light, such a paper, plastics and textiles, are transparent for THz radiation. In theory, this provides the possibility of seeing through objects.

The development of stronger sources and more sensitive detection methods makes THz radiation imaging a more attractive proposition. At this stage, however, terahertz microscopes still cannot focus with sufficient clarity. Dr Planken''s research is looking for a solution to this and other problems. It is expected to lead to the development of a microscope capable of creating super-sharp images that, for example, give us a detailed infrared representation of what a biological cell looks like.

Dr Planken has been an associate professor at TU Delft since 2003. At the end of 2006, he was awarded a VICI grant by the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO).

Dr.ir. Ramon Hanssen
Dr Ramon Hanssen (39) is a specialist in the field of remote sensing, which involves observing and measuring processes on Earth from space, for example using radar techniques. He is one of the few researchers in this emerging field with a publication in Science to his name.

The applications of remote sensing are continuing to expand. Before an earthquake, changes in the Earth''s surface take place, which can be monitored by satellite. Specifically Dutch applications include monitoring the stability of dykes and observing subsidence due to gas extraction, something which can be measured almost down to the last millimetre. Dr Hanssen is engaged in the analysis of satellite data, the influence of atmospheric conditions on measurement techniques and the mathematical modelling and interpretation of deformation processes.

Dr Hanssen has been an associate professor at TU Delft''s Faculty of Aerospace Engineering since 2005.

Dr. David Keyson
Dr David Keyson (45) has been an associate professor at the Industrial Design Department of TU Delft''s Faculty of Industrial Design Engineering since 1999. He is the man behind the research programme Intelligence in Products and took on the role of director of research at IDE+A since the beginning of 2007. IDE+A was set up to enhance the scientific cooperation between TU Delft''s Faculties of Industrial Design Engineering and Architecture.

Dr Keyson''s research field is the Design of Smart Products and Aware Environments, which centres on the interaction between the user and an environment of intelligent products and services. Not only technology, but perception, cognition and emotion also play an important part in this respect. Since products can be made more "conscious" of the wishes of the individual user, interest in this field of research is growing.

Before joining TU Delft, Dr Keyson worked for companies such as Philips Research and Xerox.

Cream of the crop
The Antoni van Leeuwenhoek (AvL) appointments at TU Delft are reserved for the absolute cream of Delft''s scientists. Promoting them to the position of professor at an early stage in their career enables them to realise their full potential. The AvL professors are not directly burdened with the management and teaching duties associated with a traditional professorship.