Philips' FluidFocus camera lenses aims to work like the human eye

Philips Research is demonstrating à tiny digital camera lens that fits inside a mobile phone. Philip's FluidFocus lens can focus on objects and create sharp pictures in ways like human eye and have no mechanical moving parts. FluidFocus technology consists of two manipulated immiscible fluids of different refractive index in a tiny transparent tube. The small size of the fluid lens (3 mm in diameter by 2.2 mm in length) makes them easy to be incorporated into miniature optical pathways, such as digital cameras, camera phones, optical drives and home security systems. The lens consumes virtually zero power, which gives a real advantage for battery powered devices. The potential to be both shock resistant and capable for operating over a wide temperature range makes it suitable for mobile applications.The durability of the lens is already tested with over 1 million focusing operations without performance lost. Philips said that will build a production line aimed to low-cost imaging products.

FluidFocus is the first patented technology of that kind. The lens are shown this year in CeBIT Exhibition in Hannover, Germany

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