University licenses new zoom lens technology

Permalink: University licenses new zoom lens technology by Jan Harris

The University of Central Florida has entered into a licensing agreement with Holochip Corp, a US-based manufacturer of adaptive lenses, for innovative technologies which could substantially reduce the size of zoom lenses without reducing clarity.

The technology could have a major impact on the camera phone and digital camera market.

Researchers at the University of Central Florida have developed and patented adaptive lens technologies which mimics the way the human eye works.

In conventional zoom lenses, groups of glass or plastic lenses are mechanically adjusted to provide the correct focus, magnification and field of view.

However in adaptive lenses, the focal length can be changed without mechanically changing the location of the lens. Furthermore, this is achieved on a miniature scale. The lenses can be made from less than a millimeter to a couple of centimeters in size,

The technique provides a wide range of focal power with almost no optical loss and is idea for applications such as cell phones where size is limited.

The research team was led by Shin-Tson Wu, provost-distinguished professor of optics at the University of Central Florida’s College of Optics and Photonics.

Holochip Corp supplies lenses to manufacturers of camera phones, digital still cameras, medical and military equipment and other products.