From Columbia University a grid of flexible and deformable lenses

A group of scientists from Columbia University has conceptualized a whole new way to capture images by developing a particular sheet of deformable and flexible lenses resulting in a sensor that can be deformed at will, with the possibility of opening the way for completely new application areas.

In order to create a roller shutter image sensor, the group of researchers at first considered to affix small lenses in the size of a single pixel sensors, a road already traveled previously on curved surfaces. This approach, however, would create gaps between the sensors, at the time of bending, which would lead to artifacts in the final image.

The idea was to create a flexible silicone rubber sheets so as to be able to realize a grid of deformable lenses, which change their focal properties when they are bent or curved. In this way the prototype that followed did not blind spots, even with sharp bends, and can capture images without artifacts.

The conceptual prototype is a grid of 33x33 lenses: when you can be bent or curved in a predictable and quantifiable produce sharp images, even at low resolution. But if the amount of deformation is not known, the system generates irregular and random images. To work around this problem would be necessary to measure the amount of deformation, so that we can properly process the image captured by the sensor: the idea is to integrate the small sensor sheet capable of detecting mechanical stress.

Although the prototype is able to capture lower resolution images, it is still able to demonstrate the validity of the concept. The scientists plan to develop a version with higher resolution grid of lenses, by embarking on a large-format sensor. The possible applications can range from new cameras to 360 degrees for the production of content for virtual reality, up to cameras the size of a credit card that can be bent to adjust the angle of field.