Science Fiction Dictionary
A  B  C  D  E  F  G  H  I  J  K  L  M  N  O  P  Q  R  S  T  U  V  W  X  Y  Z

 

Lytro Living Pictures Camera Revolution

Lytro's light-field picture cameras will revolutionize the field of photography; and consumer versions will be ready by the end of the year.

Light-field cameras use a different kind of sensor, which gathers light moving in all directions in the view of the camera. The main advantage of the camera is that you do not need to wait to focus the picture before shooting. Once the picture has been taken, the user can focus on any part of the picture.

Take a look at this amazing demonstration picture; you may have to reload the page to get it to work. Click in different parts of the picture to refocus.


Lytro.com / Jason Bradley

(Lytro living pictures)

The interesting choice that Lytro has made is to go into the camera business itself, rather than license out its technology to established camera makers. It hopes to have a point-and-shoot model on sale later this year. The device will be “reasonably priced,” but Lytro didn’t offer further details.

“It will be a competitively priced consumer product that fits in your pocket,” Ren Ng, the company’s founder and chief executive, said.

Fifteen years ago, light field photography required one hundred cameras and a supercomputer; now coming to a pocket near you.

Fans of the 1982 movie Blade Runner recall the esper photo analysis machine that Deckard uses to track the replicants. He can arbitrarily select a part of the picture, and zoom in to bring any portion into perfect focus.


(Blade Runner Esper photo analysis machine)

If the picture shown above doesn't work in your browser, follow the link under the picture to go to the Lytro site. Via allthingsD.

Scroll down for more stories in the same category. (Story submitted 6/22/2011)

Follow this kind of news @Technovelgy.

| Email | RSS | Blog It | Stumble | del.icio.us | Digg | Reddit |

Would you like to contribute a story tip? It's easy:
Get the URL of the story, and the related sf author, and add it here.

Comment/Join discussion ( 2 )

Related News Stories - (" Engineering ")

Hybrid Wind Solar Devices
'...the combined Wind-Suncatcher, like a spray of tulips mounted fanwise.' - Simpson Stokes, 1937.

BeamBike Solar Power Canopy For Electric Bikes
'The slender stalks of a sunshade-photocell collector...' - David Brin, 1990.

REALLY Remote Control Excavators
'It takes over a second for the signal to get to the Moon...' - Pournelle and Niven, 1981

Your Solar Electric Paint Is Ready, Larry Niven
'...you spray it on.' - Larry Niven, 1995

 

Google
  Web TechNovelgy.com   

Technovelgy (that's tech-novel-gee!) is devoted to the creative science inventions and ideas of sf authors. Look for the Invention Category that interests you, the Glossary, the Invention Timeline, or see what's New.

 

 

 

 

Science Fiction Timeline
1600-1899
1900-1939
1940's   1950's
1960's   1970's
1980's   1990's
2000's   2010's

Current News

Mechazilla Arms Catch A Falling Starship, But Check Out SF Landing-ARMS
'...the rocket’s landing-arms automatically unfolded.'

A System To Defeat AI Face Recognition
'...points and patches of light... sliding all over their faces in a programmed manner that had been designed to foil facial recognition systems.'

Robot Hand Separate From Robot
'The crawling, exploring object was V-Stephen's surgeon-hand...'

Hybrid Wind Solar Devices
'...the combined Wind-Suncatcher, like a spray of tulips mounted fanwise.'

Is Optimus Autonomous Or Teleoperated?
'I went to the control room where the three other men were manipulating their mechanical men.'

Robot Masseuse Rubs People The Right Way
'The automatic massager began to fumble gently...'

Solar-Powered Space Trains On The Moon
'The low-slung monorail car, straddling its single track, bored through the shadows on a slowly rising course.'

Drone Deliveries Instead Of Waiters In Restaurants?
'It was a smooth ovoid floating a few inches from the floor...'

Optimus Robot Can Charge Itself
'... he thrust in his charging arm to replenish his store of energy.'

Skip Movewear Arc'teryx AI Pants
'...the terrible Jovian gravity that made each movement an effort.'

'Robovan' Name Already Taken - Elon, Try These
There are alternative names that are probably in the public domain by now.

How Old Are Tesla Designs?
You be the judge.

Is Your Autonomous Tractor Safe?
'The field-minder finished turning the top-soil of a two-thousand-acre field.'

Smart TVs Are Listening!
'You had to live -- did live, from habit that became instinct -- in the assumption that every sound you made was overheard...'

Police Drones In China Would Like To Have A Word With You
''OVERRIDE,' the City Fathers said suddenly, without being asked anything at all.'

Oh Great (Part 2), Fence-Climbing Robots
Please, no stingers.

More SF in the News Stories

More Beyond Technovelgy science news stories

Home | Glossary | Invention Timeline | Category | New | Contact Us | FAQ | Advertise |
Technovelgy.com - where science meets fiction™

Copyright© Technovelgy LLC; all rights reserved.