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Adaptive Optics May Enable Super-Human Vision
jonwiley writes: "Science Daily reports in this article 'Adapting technology originally developed by astronomers to obtain better images of the heavens, a University of Rochester scientist has developed an optical system that has given research subjects an unprecedented quality of eyesight. The research dramatically improves the sight even of people who have 20/20 vision.'" I knew I should hold off on laser surgery. This and a bionic claw, and superhero fantasies are mine!
His device broke a single laser beam into 20 sub-beams and recombined them into a spot about an inch across that could move anywhere across an 8 inch circle. It was steered using piezoelectric mirrors (each on separate mounts - the whole thing looked like a frankenstein project compared to current technology). The focusing was entirely done by shifting the phase of each sub-beam.
There was feedback in the system that used varying frequencies to slightly modulate each beam and then combine the phases to get the best focus on a target. The whole thing could work automatically to track a small white target on the end of a stick.
The researcher inadvertently discovered that if he walked through the beam it would lock onto and track his shiny belt buckle. I saw this demonstrated in an 8mm movie he shot. Considering that this was being developed for tracking nuclear missiles he said he found this a little disturbing.
Also of note is his early use of color animated computer graphics. He printed out beam fluxes across the region during various simulations as integer digits on line printer paper. Then he assigned his young son to color in all the digits a certain way, so 0 went uncolored while 9 was yellow. Then he used a cable-release on his 8mm camera to animate the calculated simulations of beam tracking.
They've come a long ways, I see. His crude device probably cost $100,000 or more and I expect took about a year to build.
Mike
-- Could you use my software consulting serv
Since video card technology is progressing so quickly, human visual perception will become the system's last bottleneck. The only logical outcome is for people to start overclocking their eyeballs.
-CausticPuppy "Of all the people I know, you're certainly one of them." -Somebody I don't know
These advancements are truly an amazing thing and I applaud the science behind it. With all technology, however, it has the potential to be abused.
It's a good thing bow and arrows weren't perfected, otherwise thousands of people would have been killed.
It's a good thing stirrups weren't perfected, otherwise archers would be terribly more deadly whilst on horseback.
It's a good thing gunpowder wasn't perfected, otherwise extra thousands of people would have been killed in wars.
It's a good thing steam power wasn't perfected, otherwise thousands of people would have lead a dreary existence in factories.
It's a good thing railroads weren't perfected, otherwise thousands of indians would have had their livelyhood destroyed and land stolen.
It's a good thing ships weren't perfected, otherwise thousands of people would have drowned at sea.
It's a good thing aircraft wasn't perfected, otherwise thousands of people would have been killed in aircrashes.
It's a good thing airships weren't perfected, otherwise thousands of people would have been burned in hydrogen fires.
It's a good thing automobiles weren't invented, otherwise thousands of people would have been killed and maimed in traffic.
It's a good thing computers weren't perfected, otherwise thousands of people would have suffered carpal tunnel syndrome.
It's a good thing space shuttles weren't perfected, otherwise slightly more than half a dozen would have been killed by O-ring failures.
It's a good thing slashdot wasn't perfected, otherwise thousands of people would have been died of boredom reading really stupid posts...
--
Here's my mirror
I'll have to start a metaSlashdot so I can give Slashdot a (+1, Funny)
This calls for a Haiku:
I can see much more
With my bionic peepers
Voyeurism's fun.
Stay up hacking each weekend. Sleep is for the week.
I find it ironic that an article written about superhuman vision is done in such a small font. Maybe it's my browser though.