"In Japan, the leader is Hitachi, which recently announced the development of the country's first lensless camera. Over in the U.S., Rice University and semiconductor developer Rambus are leading the way. At this point, Hitachi's technology stands out because of its speed.
Hitachi's system processes images as much as 300 times faster than other lensless cameras developed to date. What is more, the focus can be adjusted after the image has been captured by the sensor.
A number of technical issues still need to be resolved -- particularly the hazy look of the photos -- but Hitachi hopes to have a practical model ready in two years.
Japanese companies have established themselves as leaders in the imaging business, but now they face the challenge of securing slices of the nascent lensless market."
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| Hitachi camera prototype |
