But Menon's filter is transparent and roughly 1 micron thick — a human hair is roughly 75 microns — and uses a combination of hardware and software to read up to 25 separate colors. As light passes through the filter, Menon said, the light is manipulated to create distinct codes for each color that can then be read and reproduced by the camera sensor.
The invention is detailed in a research paper published Thursday in the journal Optica.
"Basically," Menon said. "We were able to re-create images in full color without absorbing any of the light."
The project began as a solution to a design challenge promoted by NASA, which asked for a lightweight, inexpensive camera that could be placed in space to study near-Earth objects.
Menon has received roughly $500,000 in funding from NASA and the U.S. Office of Naval Research, which was looking into advancement in night vision technology.
"Looking at very faint objects, of course you want to make use of any light that gets in," Menon said.
Menon launched a private company, Lumos Imaging, to produce the filters. He is currently negotiating with the University of Utah to obtain the intellectual property rights for the technology.
He said the immediate application for the filter is with cellphone cameras, which struggle to capture nighttime and low light images. Three generations of prototypes have been built, Menon said, and he anticipates having a product ready to market in three years.
"I'm an optimistic person," he said. "This is my third startup, so I have a little experience."
bwood@sltrib.com
twitter: @bjaminwood
Source: U. professor invents cellphone camera filter that captures more light, color
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