The demand for advanced imaging systems continues to grow as industries like surveillance, healthcare, and industrial automation require more efficient, compact, and high-performance solutions. Conventional optical systems often rely on mechanically moving parts for focusing and zooming, which bring increased costs, larger device sizes, mechanical wear, and reduced durability. Addressing these limitations has become a priority for researchers with adaptive lens technology emerging as a promising alternative. Liquid crystal-based lenses offer a solution that eliminates mechanical components while delivering fast, precise focusing capabilities. The IALL project aims to showcase the potential of this technology across multiple practical applications.
The project is a continuation and evolution of the Adaptive Liquid Lenses (ALL) project developed during ATTRACT phase 1, where liquid crystal lenses designed by Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (UPM) achieved a level of technical maturity that made it possible to integrate them into standalone cameras, demonstrating their effectiveness in real imaging environments.
Meanwhile, in phase 2, the IALL project, led by UPM in collaboration with ADTelecom, aims to develop an advanced imaging system by integrating liquid crystal lenses with a camera and a microcontroller. This integrated system will control both lens configurations and image capture, enabling its application in machine vision units, microscopes, and surveillance systems. Designed to capture images at various focal distances, the system will incorporate image treatment software like the one used in standard web and smartphone cameras. This ensures instant, high-quality image performance, enhancing the user experience.
The integrated camera system will retain the conventional functionality of a focusing camera while offering significant advantages. These include the video rate tuning speed of liquid crystal lenses and the elimination of mechanically moving parts, which reduces manufacturing costs, prevents mechanical wear, and minimizes the system’s footprint, power consumption, and focusing speed.
“In Q1 of 2025, the IALL project will present its lenses to some of Europe’s major lens manufacturers. The potential IALL application field is so wide, ranging from satellites to microscopes and eyewear, via intelligent headlight and intelligent self-focusing micro- and surveillance -cameras, that the full potential of the lenses can only be realized in close collaboration or joint venture with a high-volume end-user. The market is limitless, but the investment in a manufacturing plant is significant,
mentioned Morten Geday, Full Professor at the UPM and coordinator of the IALLproject.
Progress and key milestones achieved
Over the past months, the research team has been focused on advancing the project while also participating in different conferences to showcase its progress. For instance, the consortium took part in the SPIE Photonics West fair in California, USA, where they presented a talk introducing IALL and its latest results such as the development of lenses using dual-frequency materials, the use of the lenses in zoom systems and dynamic achromatic image capture, among others.
Moreover, one of the consortium partners participated in the SPIE Photonics Europe conference in Strasbourg, France, to present advancements in varifocal liquid crystal diffractive lenses and explore innovative applications of liquid crystal technology. Such events, bringing together industry and academia, play a crucial role by providing opportunities to engage with companies that may have a strong interest in the project’s technology.
On the other hand, a patent has been officially granted to all major markets, marking a critical milestone in its protection and the development of IALL. Moreover, ADTelecom has redesigned the driver to enhance its flexibility further. This updated design has already attracted interest from customers seeking a new driver, marking it as the first direct commercial product to emerge from the IALL project.
It is worth noting that UPM has joined the SECPHO society, which has opened doors to collaboration with three Spanish companies specializing in eyewear, wavefront cameras, and augmented/virtual reality glasses. The goal is to present the lenses to these companies throughout the beginning of 2025.
IALL main applications
This project has potential applications in surveillance cameras, microscopes, machine vision systems, and real-time 3D imaging. The lenses can enhance surveillance by enabling faster and more adaptable focusing and improving precision in microscopes for scientific research and industrial inspection. Additionally, it could advance real-time 3D imaging, with applications in medical imaging, 3D mapping, and other fields requiring dynamic image capture and analysis.
Here you can watch a video of the IALL project:
For additional information about the project, visit here.
The demand for advanced imaging systems continues to grow as industries like surveillance, healthcare, and industrial automation require more efficient, compact, and high-performance solutions. Conventional optical systems often rely on mechanically moving parts for focusing and zooming, which bring increased costs, larger device sizes, mechanical wear, and reduced durability. Addressing these limitations has become a […]
