Ultra-Thin Parasite-Inspired Lens Achieves Wide-Angle View

Summary

Researchers at KAIST have created an ultra-wide lens, less than 1mm thick, by mimicking the compound eyes of the Xenos peckii parasite. This novel "spatially offset ellipsoidal microlens array camera" captures a 140-degree field of view with a total track length of just 0.94mm, significantly thinner than a US penny. While the current prototype is 1MP, the technology holds promise for developing ultra-thin wide-angle lenses for applications in smartphones, machine vision, and medical imaging.

Key points

• New ultra-wide lens is thinner than a penny, measuring less than 1mm.
• Design inspired by the compound eyes of the Xenos peckii parasite.
• Achieves a 140-degree field of view with a compact, thin form factor.
• Potential applications include smartphones, machine vision, and medical imaging.