Metamaterials used to create lens-less imaging system
Duke University engineers have used metamaterials to create a cheap, ultra efficient imaging sensor that doesn't require a lens to generate a picture.
The new system, which has potential use in applications such as airport security scanners and collision avoidance systems, works with microwave light to produce 2D images.
The material itself is a thin laminate with row upon row of tiny squares etched onto copper, each one of which is tuned to a different frequency of light.
According to the researchers, it is flexible and durable enough to be attached to a wall, wrapped around corners or even laid on the floor like a rug, making it an inexpensive alternative for a variety of sensing applications.
"By taking advantage of the unique properties of these metamaterials, we were able to create a system capable of microwave imaging without lenses or any moving parts," said John Hunt, a graduate student at Duke's Pratt School of Engineering.
The metamaterial is made of thousands of tiny apertures that can detect a wide spectrum of frequencies, allowing it to obtain a more global image of the scene.
"Each individual element of the metamaterial is tuned to narrow frequency," Hunt explained. "Together, the individual elements scan the entire range to capture information about a scene very quickly.
"This system allows us to collect and compress the image during collection, instead of later, averting the detector, storage and transmission costs associated with conventional imaging of a scene."
