One of our chief complaints about today’s cell phones is their general inability to capture quality photos and videos with weak built-in cameras. Enter InVisage Technologies, whose new QuantumFilm promises to increase image sharpness in camera phones by up to four times while doubling their dynamic range.
Today’s imaging chips, which use complementary metal oxide semiconductors (CMOS), capture only about 25 percent of the light that makes contact with the silicon’s surface. InVisage has created an entirely new material—christened quantum dots—that absorbs up to 95 percent of the light that hits it, resulting in dramatically improved image quality. According to Jess Lee, CEO of InVisage, quantum dots took about three years to engineer, and are a byproduct of nanotechnology research.
Although cameras of all form factors could potentially benefit from this technology, QuantumFilm will be especially useful for devices with compact designs. In addition to the enhancement of camera phones, Lee envisions InVisage’s new quantum dot material making its way into security cameras, car cameras, and even night vision goggles. Expect products incorporating the technology to launch next year.
