MIT developed optical fiber that may turn every garment into a camera, is it another step forward in realizing optical camouflage?

Button type cameras, lighter type cameras and other cameras that are not what they look like are not only serious professionals such as information agencies, but also as a gadget for enthusiasts, every era has become popular.

However, it seems that the team of Massachusetts Institute of Technology has developed a fiber which may completely overturn the concept of what we have camera.

Details are below.
Technology Review: A Camera from a Sheet of Fiber

MIT develops camera-like fabric | Underexposed - CNET News

This fiber, developed by Mr. Yoel Fink of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, has a thickness of several hundreds of micrometers, and an optical sensor composed of eight semiconductor elements in groups of four is kneaded in. By using this as warp and weft threads weave the cloth so that the photosensitive element is stretched to draw the mesh's eyes, making it possible to use the whole cloth like a CCD of a digital camera.

Eight elements are arranged so as to surround the center of the fiber


Eyeballs and lenses are small and weak against scratches, but with this fabric you can make as much as you can with cloth so it has the advantage that you can bypass that part even if it gets scratched slightly. Although it is now possible to recognize light of two kinds of wavelength with one fiber, it will be possible to recognize light of various wavelengths by combining several kinds of fibers.

As an application example, it seems to be thought of an ultra-huge folding light receiving element such as an astronomical telescope for carrying and a camera that can be attached to a soldier's battle garment and see the whole circumference of 360 degrees. Also, for example, it is being developed at Keio University(PDF file)FabcellBy combining with a fiber which discolors with an electric signal like that, it may be possible to create something like "optical camouflage" whose pattern changes according to the surrounding landscape.