Eye-shaped camera is shaped like an eye

Some researchers at Northwestern University and University of Illinois have managed to build an eye-like camera that's actually shaped like an eye. Sure, that sounds a tad unimpressive, but the real contribution of this project is the idea of electronics on a curved, flexible surface. The researchers have developed a mesh-like material that carries the photodetectors and electronic components necessary, and they say the resulting camera has a better field of vision than a traditional camera, in addition to conveniently resembling a human eye. Of course, they're a long ways away from communicating with the brain well enough to make an actual fully bionic eyeball, but the curved electronics could have other medical -- and regular form factor-busting, we hope -- applications as well.

[Michael Scrip @ Aug 6th 2008 7:20PM]

Isn't the title a bit redundant?

[Graham @ Aug 6th 2008 7:23PM]

Im not sure, I didnt know it was shaped like an eye until they told me again.

[Frun @ Aug 6th 2008 7:26PM]

Isn't the title a bit redundant?

[v3xx @ Aug 6th 2008 7:30PM]

maybe it should have read "eye shaped camera (literally) shaped like an eye"

[deyanimay @ Aug 6th 2008 7:40PM]

or maybe "Eye-shaped camera is shaped like... an eye."

[Krush @ Aug 6th 2008 7:57PM]

simple and convenient ....
Think of the pain the editor had to go through describing Moto ROKR E1 ....... "ROKR actually SUCKS - WTF?@#$?"

[The Joker @ Aug 6th 2008 8:00PM]

Hey, it's a Paul Miller post. At least he didn't photoshop a pair of these on to an image of Stevie Wonder's face.

[giuliop @ Aug 6th 2008 8:08PM]

I suggest more titles like that, i.e.:

Microsoft's new XBOX console is a gaming console called XBOX
Apple's iPhone phone is a phone made by Apple and called iPhone
The Nintendo DS is a Nintendo DS
We write titles that are titles that say that titles are titles

[phanbouy fan fan @ Aug 6th 2008 8:10PM]

i also suggest more titles like the following:

"Girls who are boys who like boys to be girls who do boys like they're girls who do girls like they're boys"

[GoVegan @ Aug 6th 2008 9:39PM]

"Always should be someone you really know".

Awesome song by Blur, BTW Damon Albarn is also a veggie :)

[GoVegan @ Aug 6th 2008 9:44PM]

Boys and Girls
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=riE-GI0PxnE

[nDee @ Aug 6th 2008 9:49PM]

Nokia released Nokia N96 the new n-series on Nokia.com?

[Loban @ Aug 7th 2008 9:03AM]

I think the title is supposed to be funny. But yes, it would have been more obvious if it had been written "Eye-shaped camera is shaped like ... an eye"

[sM @ Aug 7th 2008 11:49AM]

"My cat's breath smells like cat food." - Ralph Wiggum

[Major4Play @ Aug 6th 2008 7:20PM]

Yip , true dat

[KyleB171 @ Aug 6th 2008 7:23PM]

"Eye-shaped camera is shaped like an eye". No shit Engadget, good observation skills there.

[happy_penguin @ Aug 6th 2008 10:21PM]

Tsk...

humor is wasted on some people...

[phanbouy @ Aug 6th 2008 7:23PM]

sounds like a job for iEye

[phanbouy fan fan @ Aug 6th 2008 7:42PM]

yeah you think you're so clever with your name dropping. i'll show you! i'll summon my magical mystery powers of SARCASM! and, and, and...reedit your avatar in MS Paint!

[Zeth Ethereal @ Aug 6th 2008 7:56PM]

I would love to see that drawing lol

[phanbouy fan fan @ Aug 6th 2008 7:59PM]

you can. my idol and phanbouy stalker, "phanbouy fan" did one and has been laying massive righteous erudite smackdown on my sworn nemesis, phanbouy, in many previous articles.

[Abuzar Baloach @ Aug 7th 2008 1:10AM]

phanbouy fan fan, thats just pathetic. I want to pity you, but I feel incapable of pity for such morons lol.

[Adam @ Aug 6th 2008 7:36PM]

Not to be a spoil-sport, folks, but I'm almost certain that was the
point.

[v3xx @ Aug 6th 2008 7:38PM]

whats wrong with engadget? when i reload the page half the comments disappear then reappear after a couple more refreshes.

[deyanimay @ Aug 6th 2008 8:07PM]

same here

[Lowest Ranked @ Aug 6th 2008 8:10PM]

Yep, thats a symptom of bad RAM and corrupt sectors on your harddrive.

You need to return the computer where you bought it from and explain that you're just too dumb to own.

[giuliop @ Aug 6th 2008 8:11PM]

Or maybe he should Low Rank you.

[deyanimay @ Aug 6th 2008 8:21PM]

Shut up lowest rank this happens on my brand new vista laptop as well.

[d @ Aug 6th 2008 8:45PM]

deyanimay can't tell if that's a joke naming vista it happens on my mojave lolz

[deyanimay @ Aug 7th 2008 6:35AM]

funny

[Zak @ Aug 6th 2008 7:40PM]

I got blue balls in my blood eye.

[Steve @ Aug 6th 2008 7:44PM]

Being someone who has suffered a traumatic eye injury this is great news, well maybe more of a step in the right direction for someone like me that has lost the whole eye and hopes for a camera "eye" implant to still appear normal and have full vision.

[Lowest Ranked @ Aug 6th 2008 8:11PM]

Yes, but then you will have infared and thermal vision and thats not fair considering I've seen the way you look at me with that sneaky glass eye.

[Backlin @ Aug 6th 2008 8:21PM]

Being someone who lost their eye to glaucoma 19 years ago, I would love to see this perfected also. Then I could have normal vision in the left, and thermal/UV in the right.

Then I can apply for the CIA.

[deyanimay @ Aug 6th 2008 8:27PM]

wishful thinking.

[jupiterthunder @ Aug 7th 2008 12:23AM]

this is exactly how i envisioned the robot uprising. it will begin with the cyborgs.

[Ayman @ Aug 7th 2008 1:58AM]

Funny how no one thought of the xray cameras
like the ones at certain airports

[allston232 @ Aug 6th 2008 7:45PM]

Touché

[phanbouy @ Aug 6th 2008 9:00PM]

are you fencing with someone?

[phanbouy fan @ Aug 6th 2008 11:34PM]

for those of you who are not on the same level of comedy as me and phanbouy he says that because people who fence say touché when they get hit by the other person

[phanbouy fan fan @ Aug 6th 2008 11:52PM]

i get it the joke needs explaining. that's clever. you're clever.

[ChrisMizzleInfo @ Aug 7th 2008 3:33AM]

oh MAN
HA @ PHANBOUT FAN am CLEVER

[Freakin Ijit @ Aug 6th 2008 7:47PM]

Is there a good reason other than, possibly, appearance for a bionic eye to be spherical?

[McFly @ Aug 6th 2008 9:16PM]

yes there is
if you use a lense to focus an image onto a flat surface, you;ll notice it gets distorted, a lot of the glass on cameras is simply to reshape the image fall nicely on a flat image chip, by making the image chip concave there's no need for all that extra complexity and cost

[ED @ Aug 6th 2008 8:00PM]

I would prefer a fish-shaped camera, shaped like fish.
And 3 tablespoons rhubarb, on fire.

[phanbouy @ Aug 6th 2008 8:01PM]

with a fish-eye lens, naturally

[porath @ Aug 6th 2008 8:00PM]

am i the only one who sees this as just another step toward a vast robot army?

[hank94jp @ Aug 6th 2008 8:00PM]

I can feel my brain swelling from all the knowledge this article title has bestowed upon me.

[Gary Kevorkian @ Aug 6th 2008 8:21PM]

At RKS Design, we design products for people...people who use products!

[sdle.patriot @ Aug 6th 2008 8:22PM]

Isn't the title a bit redundant?