Electrical engineers from Duke University and the University of Arizona have built an imaging apparatus consisting of 98 synchronised microcameras and a large, ball-shaped central lens. “Each one of the microcameras captures information from a specific area of the field of view,” said Professor David Brady of Duke University. “A computer processor essentially stitches all this information into a single highly detailed image.” Stitched images from the prototype offer a resolution of one gigapixel, but in the long run, the researchers aim to produce a 50-gigapixel camera. Another direction for future development is miniaturisation: “within five years, as the electronic components of the cameras become miniaturised… gigapixel cameras should be available to the general public,” the scientists say.

Source: University of Arizona Photo: Duke University Imaging and Spectroscopy Program

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