Autonomous lenses may bring microworld into focus

Developed by University of Wisconsin-Madison Electrical and Computer Engineering Assistant Professor Hongrui Jiang, Biomedical Engineering Professor David Beebe, postdoctoral researcher Liang Dong and doctoral student Abhiskek Agarwal, and inspired by the natural compound eye, "smart" variable focal length liquid microlenses incorporate hydrogels that respond to physical, chemical or biological stimuli and actuate lens function. In this artist's rendering of a smart liquid microlens, environmental stimuli (shown as yellow rays and tiny spheres) trigger a hydrogel (shown as a yellow ring edged in black) to swell or contract. As a result, water below the lens (center) either bulges or bows and the lens becomes divergent or convergent. Such smart microlenses could advance lab-on-a-chip technologies, optical imaging, medical diagnostics and bio-optical microfluidic systems. Credit: Ryan Martinson, Silverline Studio