Recent Results

arts of our detailed review article on smartphone imaging technology [1], which describes current smartphone multi-camera systems in terms of optical design (see also [2]), optical technology, image stabilization technology, image processing, and computational imaging, have recently been presented at various conferences.

Examples of different principles of modern optical imaging.

Image: Prof. Vladan Blahnik

The perspective Pannini projection, named after the artist Giovanni Pannini (1691-1765) of the Italian school of vedutismo, which is excellently suited to project natural wide-angle images, was first used as an optical design with lenses whose optical surfaces contain cylindrical, toroid or free-form surfaces [3]. In addition, it was shown that a cylindrical shape of the image sensor is advantageous and would be much easier to implement than the efforts already made over about two decades in the technological implementation of spherical surfaces. Designs of this new type of wide-angle lens have been presented for various application areas in cinematography, industrial photo optics or smartphone optics at various international optics design conferences and provide application examples for compact components with locally highly variable refractive power distribution such as freeform surfaces or GRIN media.

Examples of realizations of the Pannini projection in optical lens design.

Image: Prof. Vladan Blahnik

The perspective Pannini projection, named after the artist Giovanni Pannini (1691-1765) of the Italian school of vedutismo, which is excellently suited to project natural wide-angle images, was first used as an optical design with lenses whose optical surfaces contain cylindrical, toroid or free-form surfaces [3]. In addition, it was shown that a cylindrical shape of the image sensor is advantageous and would be much easier to implement than the efforts already made over about two decades in the technological implementation of spherical surfaces. Designs of this new type of wide-angle lens have been presented for various application areas in cinematography, industrial photo optics or smartphone optics at various international optics design conferences and provide application examples for compact components with locally highly variable refractive power distribution such as freeform surfaces or GRIN media.