Liquid lenses with lasers

[Pieznice29]

Not sure if this has been posted before, according to a quick search it hasn't...

Just discovered these magical little devices called liquid lenses. They have the ability to vary their focal length continously over a given range. The focal length is adjusted by changing the driving voltage into the lense itself, up to about 60VAC.

First video i've ever seen of one in action:
(See below, I embeded it wrong but azzman372 fixed it.)

I'm not sure about their optical properties, the datasheet quotes a 97% light transmission at 587nm. My first thought was how well would these work with lasers. I can imagine them passing 532 green and maybe 650 red quite well.

Anyone ever used these with lasers before?

 

[azzman372]

YT vid fixed for you

Looks very interesting =)

 

[Pieznice29]

Thanks, I noticed after I didn't use the embed link but didn't have time to fix it.

 

[djayz]

Well that too much technology for a small lens.. you can have a fair amount of lenses of different focal lengths and much less complications of the current supplier at relatively cheaper price..

 

[532 with Envy]

I looked into this a bit when I ran across it in some unrelated research.
It looks like fun technology, perhaps worth looking for second hand parts to put it together over time.....Very interesting physics demonstration as well.

Edit: After watching that a couple of times, now I want to add this experiment to my list.....

 

[Pieznice29]

Well that too much technology for a small lens.. you can have a fair amount of lenses of different focal lengths and much less complications of the current supplier at relatively cheaper price..

It would be hard to implement, but it would be useful for say a computer controlled laser that needed automatic focusing or something along those lines...

@532 with Envy
I'd like to play around with one, I can't think of many actual uses for it though, so I can't really justify the cost of getting my hands on one.

I would like to make some sort of computer/microcontroller based device that detects the distance of an object held infront of it, and adjusts the lens to focus a laser on it. For automatic burning of things...

 

[532 with Envy]

Well if you do want to play....I found one of the camera's on fleebay.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/350470810702?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1438.l2649#ht_689wt_952

 

[Pieznice29]

That's pretty damn cheap if it means getting my hands on a liquid lens, might just have to buy one of those when I get a chance. Thanks for the link.

 

[532 with Envy]

Yeah I was thinking the same....if anything, just putting it aside for later experiments.

 

[Ablaze]

Awesome find, I have often thought that a lens like this must be possible to build, but never knew where to look. Thank you for sharing.

 

[Something]

Well that too much technology for a small lens.. you can have a fair amount of lenses of different focal lengths and much less complications of the current supplier at relatively cheaper price..

Remember that a liquid lens is easily replaceable and cant get scratched, you can replace the liquid quickly and since its a liquid it will have near perfect focus because a droplet is nearly always round, so its because of how precise it is that people might start using them in later lasers.

 

[bobhaha]

Already on this... Got 9 lens coming my way

 

[ShortyInCanada]

A few questions of the top of my head today...
Would the liquid be affected by heat build up from a higher power laser going through it ?
Or is the liquid pure enough to prevent any real absorbing of energy ?
Can the liquid be relied on to remain pure and clear over longer times or will it need to be replaced ?
I'm being somewhat lazy asking but I just don't have the time to look it all up for the foreseeable future...
:shhh:

 

[bobhaha]

You can't replace the liquid, its a special mix of oil and water who have very specific characteristics. No one knows how the mixture will react till some one tests it. I have 9 coming... so keep an eye out.

 

[ShortyInCanada]

Somewhere in all that is a joke....
Lenses, liquid, lasers, an eye out...
just can't...
put it....
together....

 

[Pieznice29]

Somewhere in all that is a joke....
Lenses, liquid, lasers, an eye out...
just can't...
put it....
together....

Ha, I was thinking exactly that...

bobhaha, where are you getting your 9 lenses from? I assume you arn't going to buy 9 of those webcams and pull them out. I can't find anywhere that will sell them in singles or cheaply, then again, I havent looked in a while.