Flat lens: The end of traditional focus in photography

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  Quantumrun Foresight
• May 5, 2022

Insight summary

The development of flat lens technology is reshaping the way we approach imaging across various industries, from enhancing autonomous decision-making in self-driving cars to enabling slimmer and more appealing smartphone designs. This technology has the potential to make photography more accessible to amateurs, improve medical imaging, and even influence government investment in public services. The long-term implications include improved research and treatment outcomes in medical labs and more effective surveillance through sharper security camera images.

Flat lens context

Traditionally, if many objects are featured in a photograph and at various distances, then only the object that is being focused on would appear sharp, whereas the objects in the foreground and background would appear blurry to varying degrees. As of early 2022, the majority of cameras used in smartphones or microscopes require focusing prior to an image being taken. However, a new camera innovation has been developed that may eliminate challenges associated with camera focusing.

Conventional lenses in cameras concentrate light by converting parallel light rays into spherical waves that merge at a central point. Researchers have since realized that camera lens design can be advanced significantly after discovering that light waves of various shapes could provide a similar effect. Using this insight, researchers at the University of Utah developed a camera (2020) that no longer requires focusing, doing so using a singular lens with a thickness of one-thousandth of an inch.

For context, traditional cameras—especially those used by modern smartphones—are comprised of many lens components to produce high-quality, focused photographs. Meanwhile, the new flat lens innovation allows for enhanced depth-of-focus images, which keeps all subjects in focus. The research team published their findings concerning the novel flat lens in Optica, an academic journal published by The Optical Society (OSA). In it, the research team showed how the lens could retain focus for objects up to 6 meters apart in a single plain. Experiments proved that the lens behaved as predicted, with a depth of focus many times greater than a traditional lens of equal focal length.

Disruptive impact

For the automotive industry, flat lenses can be employed to replace current camera mechanisms within self-driving cars, enhancing their autonomous decision-making systems. This technology could provide highly efficient illumination for light detection and ranging (LIDAR) devices, such as those used by electric vehicle manufacturers like TESLA. This application not only improves the efficiency of self-driving systems but also potentially makes them more accessible and affordable.

In the consumer electronics sector, flat lenses may lead to slimmer camera designs, allowing smartphone designers to reduce a phone's camera bump and provide an enhanced photographic experience. This could lead to more aesthetically pleasing phone designs, appealing to a broader consumer market. Additionally, the medical industry could see significant advancements by incorporating flat lenses into biomedical instruments used for imaging, such as endoscopy. This would make cameras and other imaging systems lighter, less complex to construct, and possibly more cost-effective, enhancing medical procedures and patient care.

The potential of flat lenses extends to the general public as well, possibly leading to more people taking up photography as a hobby. Since flat lenses would not require as much technical knowledge to take highly focused photographs, they could make photography more accessible to amateurs. This could be a positive development for camera manufacturers and retailers, as it opens up a new market segment. 

Implications of flat lens

Wider implications of flat lens may include:

• Science and medical labs being able to improve their imaging equipment, leading to improved research and treatment outcomes, which may accelerate the discovery of new medical solutions and enhance patient care.


• Automotive manufacturers enhancing their self-driving systems' ability to make high-quality decisions by collecting clearer video data, potentially making autonomous vehicles more reliable and safer for public use.


• Security cameras collecting sharper images and video of the spaces they police, leading to more effective surveillance and potentially reducing crime rates in monitored areas.


• Reducing the barriers to entry and learning curve to access high-end cameras and using them to take high-quality photographs, allowing more people to engage in professional-level photography without extensive training or investment.


• A societal improvement in the quality of visual content shared over digital platforms, leading to a more visually enriched online experience and possibly influencing the way we communicate and share information.


• The potential reduction in manufacturing costs for imaging devices, leading to more affordable products and possibly expanding access to quality imaging technology in developing regions.


• The development of new environmental regulations to manage the production and disposal of flat lenses, leading to more responsible manufacturing practices and reduced environmental impact.


• Governments potentially investing in flat lens technology for various public services, such as traffic management and public safety, leading to more efficient and responsive governance.

Questions to consider

• Do you believe flat lenses will become widely accessible to the public?


• If the flat lens becomes a photography and camera standard, which industries stand to benefit the most?