Researchers create human-like "shape-shifting" lens

Researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison have gone back to the source for inspiration with their new artificial lens, creating a so-called "shape-shifting" lens that mimics the way a human eye works. Like other liquid lenses, theirs uses a glass-oil-water interface, but it also adds a a ring of polymer gel around the lens that acts like a muscle, changing the focal length as it expands and contracts. What's more, the gel apparently works simply by reacting to environmental changes, like a rise in temperature or change in acidity, allowing for both smaller and more power-efficient imaging devices than other similar lenses. One example the researchers give is an implantable lens that could react to protein changes in the human body. Not quite Fantastic Voyage territory, but we'll take what we can get.

[Revrant @ Aug 4th 2006 6:17AM]

An actually fascinating post on Engadget, who knew?

[pbase @ Aug 4th 2006 7:16AM]

Pretty soon, poor photographers (like myself) will be able to purchase just one lens, and tickle it from a 18mm to a 1500mm.

[anthonysimilion @ Aug 4th 2006 7:53AM]

This has been in development for a while, I remember reading about these in the December 2004 issue of IEEE Spectrum.

http://www.spectrum.ieee.org/dec04/4172

It's slightly different, but uses a similar shape shifting mechanism.

[Chris @ Aug 4th 2006 9:36AM]

I hope they get this working before I go blind.

[Tim @ Aug 4th 2006 10:08PM]

This would be great to replace "progressive" lenses... a switch on the side of the glasses frame to switch from close to far lenses