Eye-inspired technology to improve smartphone cameras

Inspired by the human eye, researchers have created an efficient micro-iris - an electro-chemical equivalent to the bulky, mechanical blades that are usually found in cameras - to have the next generation of efficient smartphone cameras.

The purpose of an iris, or aperture stop, in a camera is exactly the same; it controls the amount of light that reaches a camera's sensors, which affects the overall focus of the image.

"There is currently no technological solution available that meets all the demands of integrated iris apertures in smartphones," said Tobias Deutschmann from the University of Kaiserslautern in Germany.

Many of the proposed devices require the motion of a strong absorbing material to block the path of light.

In the new technology, electrochromic materials (referred to as "smart glass") remain stationary while they change their absorption.

"This allows for much smaller casings to fit around the devices and thus enables the integration into tiny camera systems," Deutschmann explained.

This material - smart glass - transforms from a transparent material into an opaque material when a small electrical voltage is applied to it.

The findings appeared in the Journal of Optics.