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Philips Develops Fluid Lenses
Lars T. writes "Digital Photography Review has a short report indicating: 'Philips Research at the CeBIT exhibition is demonstrating a unique variable-focus lens system that has no mechanical moving parts. Suited to a wide range of optical imaging applications, including digital cameras.' Here is Philips' press release and the Heise News article (in German) where I first heard about it. The latter also mentions that Philips has recently used the same electrowetting effect in an 'ePaper' display prototype."
Look at their demonstration photo and ask yourself. Lens the size of the tip of its developer's finger?
Or developer with a finger...the size of a camera's lens!
You be the judge.
This is the last time I fall for the grotesquely-oversized-finger demonstration trick. Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice...
Frank Herbert had a similar idea in Dune: he referred to a pair of binoculars having "oil lenses" that were shaped electrically.
Just another instance of science fiction authors' jobs getting harder, I guess.
I don't know about that, I'm not that thrilled about mine. It's actually quite unpopular and not really likely to get voted 'most popular affliction' any time soon. On the other hand, it's rather common.
Money for nothing, pix for free
Is electrowetting wetting the bed with the Electric Blanket on?
Cheers
Stor
"Yeah well there's a lot of stuff that should be, but isn't"
I claim prior art as I have had two of them since 1969. Seriously, one squashy lens (of only moderate performance) with a clever image processing system behind it - as in the eye/brain setup - is probably the way to go for digital applications. Computing power is a lot cheaper than Schott optical glass!
When I am king, you will be first against the wall.
You're right, early prototypes of this product will be flawed. In fact, early prototypes of any new invention will undoubtably have flaws. Nothing new should be invented. Ever. Faced with the fact that nothing will be perfect the first try, we should never innovate or try anything new.
Thank you for showing us the light.
Stupid like a fox!
This is nothing new. Run enough current through a person and you'll see 'electrowetting' in action! 'Electrosoiling', too.
You must think in Russian.
You know the ones, a few lagers and you generally have a better appreciation of the fairer sex.
;-)
There are 10 kinds of people; those who know ternary, those who don't, and those now hunting for a dictionary.
Burning ants will never be the same.