Photo of the Week

Researchers at MIT Lincoln Laboratory applied revolutionary freeform optics to the design of a compact camera that captures high-resolution underwater imagery. This all-reflective optical system utilizes mirrors instead of a traditional glass lens installed in a vessel filled with an incompressible fluid, like silicone oil, to allow operation in high-pressure, deep-sea environments. An alternative to underwater systems encased in bulky, costly pressure-resistant containers, the camera can be operated in a fixed location or on an undersea vehicle to enable investigations of unexplored ocean depths. Insensitive to temperature and pressure, the system could be adapted for use in other extreme conditions.

Photo Credit: Glen Cooper, MIT Lincoln Laboratory