This Self-Powered Camera Can Shoot Forever Using Only the Light It Captures
Scientists have created a self-powered camera that can take pictures indefinitely without any external power. Instead, it generates its own power using the light it captures with the sensor.
After each image capture, the sensor switches modes, harvests light, and stores that energy in order to power the next shot.
By alternating between capture and charge modes in this way, the camera sensor can continually shoot images and video without having any kind of additional power source.
When it’s not being used for capturing images, the camera can even work as a dedicated power generator that converts light into electricity for other devices.
The prototype camera is currently able to produce only 30×40 images, so it’s not quite ready for prime time photo work. Here’s a sample enlarged frame from a sample video captured by the camera:
It is a step in an interesting and exciting new direction, though, and the scientists hope to one day create a self-powered camera sensor that can capture higher resolutions for usable photos.