[Home]   [Full version]  

Sharp to Introduce Industry’s Thinnest 110,000-Pixel CMOS Camera Module

Mar 16 ,Electronic Devices



Full size image
Sharp Corporation has developed a 110,000-pixel CMOS camera module with an optical system only 1/11-inch in size. The new LZ0P396D is the industry's most compact, thinnest module, and is ideal for compact portable devices such as mobile phones. Volume shipments will begin in April 2006.

Small, high-resolution, high-performance cameras are increasingly being adopted for use in compact portable devices such as mobile phones. At the same time, the proliferation of third-generation (3G) mobile phones is continuing in tandem with the inclusion of videophone functions. For the second camera unit needed for such features, demand for super-compact camera modules that can be embedded in the limited space available in these devices is also increasing.

This new CMOS camera module developed at this time is based on proprietary Sharp high-density design technology. Improved optical system design and greater precision in molding components combine to reduce the vertical profile of the unit, resulting in the industry's thinnest profile at only 2.43 mm thick and smallest volume at 0.07 cc. Plus, the LZ0P396D also supports full-motion video capture at 30 frames per second (fps), enabling users to record smooth movie clips.

Source: Sharp

Related stories:

Bioengineers develop 'microscope on a chip'
Researchers at the California Institute of Technology have turned science fiction into reality with their development of a super-compact high-resolution microscope, small enough to fit on a finger tip. This "microscopic microscope" operates without lenses but has the magnifying power of a top-quality optical microscope, can be used in the field to analyze blood samples for malaria or check water supplies for giardia and other pathogens, and can be mass-produced for around $10.
Novel semiconductor structure bends light 'wrong' way -- the right direction for many applications
A Princeton-led research team has created an easy-to-produce material from the stuff of computer chips that has the rare ability to bend light in the opposite direction from all naturally occurring materials. This startling property may contribute to significant advances in many areas, including high-speed communications, medical diagnostics and detection of terrorist threats.
Nokia unveils four devices optimized for entertainment, music and games
Alongside the introduction of Ovi, the door to Nokia's new Internet services, Nokia today unveiled four new mobile devices specifically optimized for entertainment, music and games.
Birth of a colossus on wheels
The first of two spectacular vehicles for the ALMA (Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array) Observatory rolled out of its hangar and passed successfully a series of tests. This vehicle, the ALMA antenna transporter, is a rather exceptional 'lorry' driving on 28 tyres. It is 10m wide, 20m long and 6m high, weighs 130 tons and has as much power as two Formula 1 engines. This colossus will be able to transport a 115-ton antenna and set it down on a concrete pad within millimetres of a prescribed position.
Fastest waves ever photographed
Plasma physicists at the Universities of Texas and Michigan have photographed speedy plasma waves, known as Langmuir waves, for the first time using a specially designed holographic-strobe camera.
Rice's single-pixel camera takes high-res images
For all their ease and convenience, there are few things more wasteful than digital cameras. They're loaded with pricy microprocessors that chew through batteries at a breakneck pace, crunching millions of numbers per second in order to throw out up to 99 percent of the information flowing through the lens.
Tiny fuel cell might replace batteries in laptop computers, portable electronics
If you're frustrated by frequently losing battery power in your laptop computer, digital camera or portable music player, then take heart: A better source of "juice" is in the works. Chemists at Arizona State University in Tempe have created a tiny hydrogen-gas generator that they say can be developed into a compact fuel cell package that can power these and other electronic devices -- from three to five times longer than conventional batteries of the same size and weight.
Robotic technology lowers military risks
With suicide bombing and improvised explosive devices escalating violence in Iraq, engineers are working to advance robotic technology to counter these deadly military problems.

News discussion:

Electronic Devices news

[Home]   [Full version]