AUGUST 25--Over the past ten years, photographic cameras have almost completely transitioned from silver-halide film to electronic sensors. But the other key component--the lens--has remained largely unchanged. But now the cell-phone industry, with its huge demand for embedded cameras, is driving a broad set of new requirements for miniaturized, rugged, low-cost, low-power, high-performance lenses. As they come to market, the superior value proposition of the lenses will threaten to displace traditional optics in cameras of all types. As a result the business of designing and making lenses is undergoing its most fundamental upheaval since the Renaissance.
This revolution in lens design and capabilities will be featured at the upcoming 6Sight Future of Imaging conference (Oct. 24--25; Monterey, CA, USA). The latest and most promising innovations--liquid lenses, specialized software-enhanced optics, and more--will be demonstrated live, followed by a discussion of their readiness for market and respective pros and cons.
Innovators in optics and optomechanics will demonstrate their technologies in plenary sessions, some for the first time. They include Artificial Muscle of Menlo Park, CA, USA; dBlur of Herzeliya, Israel; DxO of Paris, France; IvenSense of Santa Clara, CA, USA; New Scale Technologies of Victor, NY, USA; OmniVision of Sunnyvale, CA, USA; and Varioptic of Lyon, France. These demonstrations will be followed by a discussion led by Future Image senior analyst Tony Henning, where attendees will hear a different perspective. Senior representatives of the firms who decide whether and when to adopt these new technologies--such as cell-phone manufacturers, camera module assemblers, sensor developers, and carriers--will evaluate the technologies presented, explain their requirements for transitioning, and describe how they approach the process.
Attendees will have further opportunities to examine the new lens technologies and to interact with their developers at the New Tech Fair, which takes place during the 6Sight gala dinner at the Monterey Bay Aquarium. The New Tech Fair will also feature the latest developments in imaging software and hardware from throughout the industry.
6Sight is hosted and produced by Future Image and cohosted by PMA (Photo Marketing Association International) and I3A (International Imaging Industry Association). Corporate sponsors include Hewlett Packard, Microsoft, Sprint, Corel, and WebShots (a division of CNET), as well as emerging firms such as Nethra Imaging, and ShoZu.
6Sight (www.6sight.com) is a two-day executive event focused on the global spread of imaging technology and its potential for exciting new opportunities to improve people's lives. For information about participating in 6Sight, e-mail Joe Byrd, Future Image vice president of conferences & alliances: [email protected].
Future Image (San Mateo, CA, USA; www.futureimage.com) is an independent center of expertise on the convergence of imaging, technology, and business.