Change of Focus for Liquid Crystals 101
Dylan Knight Rogers writes to tell us PhysicsWeb is reporting that US physicists have discovered a new liquid-crystal lens design that can alter the focus by varying the voltage applied. From the article: "The new lens, which has been built by Shin-Tson Wu and colleagues at the University of Central Florida, allows the focus to be changed in a new way. The device consists of a mixture of liquid-crystal molecules and smaller N-vinylpyrrollidone monomers placed between two glass substrates, each of which is coated with a thin transparent layer of conducting indium tin oxide. They then placed a concave glass lens with a flat base on top of one of the substrates."
Re:Neat. (Score:3, Interesting)
I think a more realistic use would be for weapon sights and cameras.
Re:Not for monitors just yet (Score:5, Interesting)
In Soviet Russia, LCDs focus on you?
Seriously though:
Would there be no application to use LC Lenses in conjunction with a current LCD monitors to create a screen with depth through the use of lense trickery? I don't know oodles about optics or 3D technology, so maybe I misunderstand how it would work, but it seems to me that these changable lenses might be capable of providing a 3D monitor that doesn't require polarized glasses or some other filter.
Isn't that an old story? (Score:4, Interesting)
Would someone still have a link to that old story?
Re:Isn't that an old story? (Score:2, Interesting)
Doesn't it sound similar? (Score:1, Interesting)
Video of this lens working
mms://ntstream2.ddns.ehv.campus.philips.com/efi/8
Philips' FluidFocus system mimics the action of the human eye using a fluid lens that alters its focal length by changing its shape.
Re:Isn't that an old story? (Score:5, Interesting)
Novel invention, novel uses (Score:5, Interesting)
However, this might be used as a way to optimize solar panels as the sun moves across the sky, or to change the field pattern for headlights or taillights to better match current driving conditions.
Re:Battery life... (Score:5, Interesting)
Also, there's nothing stopping a professional photographer or cinematographer from putting film behind that felxible lens. Being able to ditch that truck full of heavy glass optics would be a great boon for professionals.
Stereo 3D with Focal Depth.. & healthier eyes (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:Neat. (Score:1, Interesting)