As if today’s cameras aren’t tiny enough. Fluidlens is a lens made of liquid that can achieve 10x optical zoom, which is equal to most standard consumer digital camera lenses out there, and definitely superior to most cameraphones. Much the same as a human eye, it curves or concaves depending on the desired focal length. And unlike traditional camera lenses, there are no moving parts, which mean production costs will also be cheaper. The technology was developed and patented by Singapore-based A*STAR’s Institute of Materials Research and Engineering, which in turn licensed it to PGS Precision, an electronics manufacturer.
The obvious benefactors of liquid lenses are cameraphones, which traditionally have sub-par digital zoom and low resolution picture quality. This explains why PGS Precision is currently in talks with various cellphone manufacturers, and expects to churn out 10 million lenses a year. Definitely a big deal as far as digital photography is concerned, and something to watch out for in the next year or so.
New patented lens made of liquid paves way for slimmer digital cameras [DigitalCamera@101reviews]
