KISSIMMEE, Fla. (WOFL FOX 35 ORLANDO) - Osceola County is building a new research and development hub, which will take cutting edge technologies to amazing new levels. The $75Florida Advanced Manufacturing Research Center near Kissimmee will develop advanced smart sensors and photonics devices.

"It could enable a whole new world of photonics technologies," says Dan Holladay, who is leading the effort.

Holladay says those smart sensors will become the backbone for the "Internet of Things" -- some 50 billion gadgets and appliances, all communicating with each other to make our lives more convenient.

Holladay adds, "Over the last nine months or year, the Internet of Things has really gone viral and this is really a huge enabler of the advanced Internet of Things."

The center will also work to create smart sensors for manufacturing, the energy sector, aerospace, defense and healthcare companies.

"Nano and semi-conductor based technologies, which is what we are working on, are going to change healthcare in the future," he says.

Holladay says companies from around the world will work together at his R&D hub to develop microelectronics to detect and treat cancers and other diseases.

He points out, "You could be able to sample blood and be able to really detect diseases now. You could tell whether or not treatments are working properly. You could test DNA in matters of minutes and a few hundred dollars."

Holladay hopes these nano technologies will be ready to use for advanced medical care within three to five years.

"Especially if you get a manufacturing development facility locked into place where you can really accelerate the commercialization of these technologies."

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Osceola research center to develop smart sensors, tech tools for advanced medicine