Projects

During the first 3-year-phase of this project, a tunable solid body elastomer lens and a tunable optofluidic micro-iris have been developed. In the second phase of the project (funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG) and in collaboration with the group of Prof. Zentel, University of Mainz), we aim at designing and demonstrating an Integrated Single Aperture Eye through the use of active micro-optics, artificial muscles and software based image processing. The design of the artificial eye is based upon the structure of the human eye; the technical implementation of the artificial eye will include the tunable optofluidic micro-iris, the tunable solid body elastomer lens and a movable CMOS sensor. The goals and approach of the project are as follows: - To design, develop and assemble an human eye inspired fully integrated compact camera system that may be used to record high quality pictures and videos. - Deforming the lens by using tunable liquid crystal elastomers (LCEs) to adjust lens focus and also to control certain optical aberrations. - A second generation integrated optofluidic iris will serve as an tunable aperture to control the light flux into the system. - Automated control of the entire system using a computer.