ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Optical switch

Okay kiddo, imagine you have a toy box full of toys and you want to play with your favorite toy, let's say a toy car. But you can't get to it easily because there are so many other toys in the way.

Now, imagine that instead of toys, we have light beams inside a small box. These light beams are like friends who want to get to the other side of the box to play with each other. But just like toys, they can't get to the other side easily because they're all in the way.

That's where an optical switch comes in! An optical switch is like a super smart adult who can move the light beams around so that they can get to the other side of the box without running into each other. It's like the switch can pick up your toy car and move it out of the way so you can get to it easily.

The optical switch works by using mirrors and tiny devices called micro-electromechanical systems, or MEMS for short. The mirrors are like the super smart adult's hands, and they can move and tilt to direct the light beams wherever they need to go. The MEMS devices are like the switch's brain, telling the mirrors what to do.

So, an optical switch is a device that can move light beams around in a box using mirrors and MEMS devices. It's like a super smart adult picking up toys to clear the way for your favorite toy car. Cool, huh?