Researchers 
in South Korea have developed and are now marketing a new super wide-angle lens that is now available for purchase at just a bit over $100. This isn't a traditional fish-eye lens that produces significant distortion at the edges. Rather, this is a “distortion free” lens in which the image is produced as a reflection on a highly polished mirrored surface, a system that is quite different from the standard “rectilinear lenses” where the elements are built from multiple components, each of which has to be individually ground from glass.
The primary market for this lens seems to be in security and surveillance, where they will be placed on the ceiling. The lack of distortion makes it easy for surveillance systems to monitor interior spaces. I'm thinking to buy one just to see if we can find some sousvillance strategy in which to use it.
I can see a smartmobs use, scanning over the distribution of police forces over a town.
Posted by: Bryan Alexander | 03 January 2007 at 01:41 PM