Page 226 - Optofluidics Fundamentals, Devices, and Applications

CHAPTER 9

Bio-Inspired Fluidic

Lenses for Imaging

and Integrated

Optics

Frank S. Tsai, Jessica Godin, Yu-Hwa Lo
Electrical and Computer Engineering, Jacobs School of Engineering, University
of California at San Diego
Sung Hwan Cho
Materials Science and Engineering Program, Jacobs School of Engineering,
University of California at San Diego
Wen Qiao

Electrical and Computer Engineering, Jacobs School of Engineering, University
of California at San Diego

ne can find a natural connection between optics and fluidics
in animal vision. Animal eyes, both compound eyes and
Ocamera-like eyes, are great examples of using fluidic media
to form images. Although beyond the scope of this chapter, it is inter-
esting to ponder why nature selects lenses of tunable shape for vision
accommodation, rather than varying the spacing between the lens
and retina. The concept similar to the latter approach (i.e., change of
spacing between lenses to change the focal length of an optical
system) has been used by all human-designed optical systems until
recently.

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