Cornell University’s microscopic camera makes photos with mathematics

Megapixel , megaschmixel — we’re more impressed when camera tech goes the opposite way and shrinks down . A happy byproduct of his neural mapping research, Patrick Gill and his Cornell University team have engineered a cam so microscopic it could fit on the head of a pin. The lensless creation is only one 100th of a millimeter thick, looks more like a miniature CD and doesn’t require any budget-breaking parts. Named after the Fourier transform that inspired it — a mathematical operation that breaks a signal down into various frequencies — the Planar Fourier Capture Array translates pixel components into a fleshed-out image. Creators of the tiny camera tech stress that it won’t be “[taking] family portraits,” but you could probably count on having this nigh-invisible sucker implanted into your brain. It’s definitely one small step for man, one nano-leap of the photographing kind. Continue reading Cornell University’s microscopic camera makes photos with mathematics Cornell University’s microscopic camera makes photos with mathematics originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 07 Jul 2011 13:57:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink

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