Scientists at CXI TUL are developing laser systems that can operate without a technician present. The laser adjusts itself precisely as needed and uses sound to determine whether the process is proceeding correctly. Research in the LasApp project is aimed at both space applications and everyday manufacturing.
Adjusting a laser is delicate work. If a mirror shifts by even a fraction of a millimeter, the entire system stops working. Today, a technician performs this step manually, repeatedly, and as the situation requires. But teams at CXI TUL are working to enable the laser to handle this on its own.
A misaligned laser? That’s no small matter
At the heart of the device is the laser cavity—the place where the beam is generated, reflected multiple times, and amplified. The mirrors must be positioned with micrometer-level precision. Over time, however, they become misaligned—due to temperature, vibrations, or simply normal operation.
The team at CXI TUL is testing a system that adjusts the position of the mirrors using piezoelectric motors—small but extremely precise actuators. The laser tracks where its own beam lands using a sensitive sensor. If it deviates from the correct position, the system detects it and corrects it on its own.
At this stage, the accuracy is in the order of tenths of a micrometer. To put that in perspective: the thickness of a human hair is around 70 micrometers.
AI returns the laser to its optimal position
Detecting an error is one thing. Correcting it quickly and efficiently is another. That’s why the team is testing machine learning methods that learn how to navigate the mirrors to the correct position as quickly as possible and with as few movements as possible.
The goal is clear: to position the laser beam exactly in the center of the sensor, with an accuracy of less than three micrometers. In May 2026, a new IR viewer was added to the laboratory, allowing the team to monitor the laser’s infrared trail directly inside the system. This helps them fine-tune the optical path and prepare the laser for live testing.
Why is this important? In places where technicians cannot be sent for maintenance—such as in space—the laser must be able to repair itself.
When Errors Can Be Heard
While the first part of the research looks toward space, the second part is aimed at industry, where it can bring concrete practical applications. The team is focusing on a technology called laser peening. This is a laser surface treatment used, for example, on aerospace and automotive components.
Each laser pulse emits its own sound signature. If the process proceeds correctly, the sound is different from when something goes wrong.
The researchers collected and analyzed these short audio recordings. Based on this, they developed their own application capable of displaying and comparing the signals in both the time and frequency domains.
Accuracy over 90 percent
Based on more than 21,000 recordings, a model was developed that can distinguish a correct pulse from a faulty one. They used the XGBoost method, a commonly used machine learning tool for classification.
The result: 93 percent accuracy. This means the machine can monitor production quality in real time, based solely on how the process sounds—without the need to inspect every piece under a microscope.
A Unique Combination of Lasers, Artificial Intelligence, and Smart Diagnostics
All of this is part of the LasApp project, which connects the leading laser centers of the Czech Academy of Sciences with other research institutions. The project is coordinated by the Institute of Photonics and Electronics of the Czech Academy of Sciences; other partners include the Institute of Physics of the Czech Academy of Sciences – HiLASE Center, the Faculty of Science at Charles University—BIOCEV Center, the Institute of Instrumentation of the Czech Academy of Sciences, the Institute for Nanomaterials, Advanced Technologies, and Innovation at the Technical University of Liberec (TUL), and the Institute of Plasma Physics of the Czech Academy of Sciences—TOPTEC Center.
Six institutions, one goal: to bring laser technologies closer to smart manufacturing and future space missions. Research in the LasApp project combines optics, automation, artificial intelligence, and manufacturing process diagnostics into a single system.
And if something ever goes wrong, there will be no need to send a technician into the bowels of the equipment—like a hero venturing into the dark corridors of a spaceship where an intruder might be lurking. Thanks to research at CXI TUL, a laser that can self-calibrate and detect in time when something isn’t going according to plan can prevent such dramas before things get serious.
