We’ve seen artificial corneas that could replace damaged organic corneas, but how about a digital image sensor that adjusts itself like a human retina? That’s exactly what John Rogers at the University of Illinois is creating. An improved method of transferring silicon sensors onto a curved surface allowing for the sensor to capture wide-angle views with low distortion. Because it avoids using a conventional flat surface for image capturing, this digital retina is able to perform feats that ordinary cameras cannot. It’ll eventually lead to advancements in security surveillance and capturing wildlife footage.

Using conventional chip manufacturing technology, John Rogers and his colleagues have found a way to bend silicone without forming creases in it. The camera they built has only 256 pixels, making it a low-resolution camera, but they claim the same technique used to craft this camera could be used to craft a wide-angled megapixel camera.  The ladies dorm just got more accessible, Porky’s-style.

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Davenport University of Technology is paving the way for tech courses with their new degree program for Biometric Security. Students confident that biometrics are the security choice of the future might want to look into a degree majoring in the security method, which could eventually lead to a lucrative career. The industry has already shown huge growth prospective, increasing from a $300 million industry in 2001, to its current value at about $2 billion.

Fingerprint, retina, and facial scans have all become more integrated into our daily lives, including use in airports and theme parks , like Disney World. “Biometrics is the wave of the future. You’re seeing fingerprint scanners or readers on every device, from your laptops to your door entry,” says Scott Meuser, systems specialist for D/A Central Inc., a 50-year-old security company based in Detroit.

The only other degree program for biometric security studies is at West Virgina University, yet Davenport insists their course not only teaches how to create and engineer security systems, but the ethics behind them as well. — Andrew Dobrow

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So you think your Coach designer glasses make you look dorky? At least you don’t have to wear a pair of these. The Stenop Glasses are a low cost solution for the sight impaired. Glasses frames have become extremely expensive if you’re ordering for an actual prescription, and not just a pair of bifocals. A pair of frames can cost you a few hundred bucks. Stenop uses a series of small holes, using the concept of stenopeic vision, instead of lenses.

The holes reduce the width of viewable rays coming from each viewed object. In result, only central rays reach the retina, reducing up to 80% of focusing errors. The Stenop can be mass produced and is made from a single mold. Because of its low cost, the glasses could easily be distributed world wide to developing countries who are only recently forming organized education. The Stenop’s will also be available in a series of different colors, depending on skin color. — Andrew Dobrow

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