Imaging the eight-fold way

A team from the University of California, San Diego and Distant Focus Corp. of Campaign, Illinois, have demonstrated a reflective multiple-fold approach that overcomes the problem of shortening the length of conventional imaging optics without degrading the resolution and decreasing light collection. However, the prototype camera was only 5 mm thick and so, Joseph E. Ford, an associate professor of electrical and computer engineering at the university in conjunction with Eric J. Tremblay, a graduate student, designed, assembled and tested the optical prototype. Colleagues from Distant Focus designed circuit boards and packaging, developed software and helped with testing and demonstration.