Camera Phone Reviews

'A small French company has not only successfully solved the problem of designing a functioning variable-focus liquid lens, but is already delivering them by the thousands to partners like SEMCO (a subsidiary of Samsung), meaning they could be showing up in your cell phone's digital camera by the end of this year. ADVERTISEMENT

In a private meeting at CES 2005 in Las Vegas, Varioptic's CEO Etienne Pillard demonstrated the Electrowetting , Iso-density, drop-centering technology that makes the liquid lens work. Varioptics takes a tiny drop of water (it can be any conductive liquid) and pairs it with an equally tiny drop of oil and then sandwiches them between glass or plastic. Oil and water's innate inability to mix means no membrane is necessary between the two liquids. A tiny, variable voltage is delivered to the water, which causes it to change shape. A higher current pulls the drop in upon itself, creating a concave effect and a lower voltage makes it rounder. There are no moving parts, and the oil, which has to be of even density and temperature, helps keep the drop in shape and in place.'

Read more of this article at Varioptic Unveils First Liquid Cell Phone Camera Lens