August 14, 2008

A Digital Camera Based on the Human Eye?

To quote: "Drawing inspiration from the simple design of the human eye..." Who said our eyes were simple?! Sure, Charlie. Well, researchers at Northwestern University and the University of Illinois joined forces to develop an eye-like camera with a curved lens that resembles a retina. This curved screen reduces the distortion that comes from projecting light on a flat surface and increases the field of view, reducing the need for multiple lenses. As we know, all electronics are currently based on flat and rigid wafers, and even slight curves pose considerable production and engineering challenges.

The implications of this "flexible electronic" development are exciting for both electronics engineers and bioengineers. For the latter, it's the hope of correcting neuron misfirings in epilepsy patients and even bionic eyes that transmit digital signals to the brain's vision centers. For electronics engineers, it's compact, one-lens-does-all cameras, wrap-around video displays and even roll-up solar panels.

Very exciting stuff! Keep your eyes peeled for more on this. Heh. (via TMCnet)