The lens that can use "polarized information" makes the smartphone camera more smarter (wired.jp)

Photograph: Justin Knight/Metalenz

Imagine such a world.In -vehicle cameras discover thin ice on the road in advance and urge the driver to pay attention.Alternatively, the smartphone camera analyzes the lesions that have appeared on the skin and judge whether it is cancer.And even if Apple's face authentication function "Face ID" is wearing a mask, it recognizes the face.METALENZ's polarized technology, Polareyes, which is developing next -generation lenses, has the potential to realize all of them.Metalenz, which is trying to innovate a smartphone camera, has announced a camera system equipped with a flat lens for mobile devices called "optical metal room".It was a year.The system is a space -saving space, but can shoot with the same image quality, even if it does not exceed the conventional smartphone camera.Most of the cameras mounted on the smartphone have a structure with many lenses.For this reason, it will inevitably become thicker and "protrude".On the other hand, only one lens used in Metalenz technology.By changing the direction of the light that passes the nan structure of the lens, and collecting it in the sensor, a bright and clear image is generated as the conventional camera.According to Metalenz's CEO Rob Devin, the technology will be installed in the product in the second quarter of 2010.Metalenz's newly announced Polareyes is a second -generation technology and may be installed in electronic devices in 2013.The base technology is the same, but the nan structure holds light polarized information.Conventional cameras, which are mounted on smartphones, have acquired only the color and color excluding this information.As the number of data that can be obtained, the range of smartphone functions may be expanded.

Value of polarized information indicating "direction of light"

Expansion image of nano structure designed by Metalenz

Light is a type of electromagnetic wave and propagates in the form of waves.When the light hits a specific object (for example, a crystal), the waveform changes and begins to vibrate in a unique form."Polarized information is the direction of light," Devin says."The light that is reflected on the camera reflected on the smooth surface, the bumpy surface, some horns, specific molecules, etc. has different directions of light depending on the reflected material, molecules, and objects. If such information is available.You can understand what the material is and what the material is. "The light waveform of light is different from the case of reflected on ordinary ice on the side of the road and when reflected in thin ice.If the camera can get this information, the computer learning algorithm in computer vision can learn the difference between thin ice and ordinary ice.That way, the car will be able to notify the driver in advance that the danger is approaching.You may not be aware that polarized technology exists close to you.LCD TVs and PC monitor panels use polarized filters, and sunglasses polarized lenses are cut off and reflected light, and specific wavelengths are separated.Nevertheless, polarized imaging, which captures the unique vibration of light waves, has been used mainly only in science and medical research.One of these studies is Tom Clonin, a visual ecotologist who studies crustaceans at Baltimoa County School, Maryland.Shaco is known for being able to detect polarized light, and thanks to that, it can be seen well in a cloudy water.Clonin says, "Shako is communicating and moving using polarization using polarization."Most of the polarized imaging devices are large and expensive.Metalenz's polareyes, on the other hand, is small enough to be installed as a camera on a smartphone.