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25 Feb 2025
LirOptic says that its solid-state but tunable component can meet the evolving demands of smartphones and AR/VR devices.
LirOptic, a spin-out company from the Plasmonics and Ultrafast NanoOptics research group at University College Dublin (UCD), is looking to raise €3 million in seed funding for a new kind of optical component.
Developed by UCD professor Dominic Zerulla and colleagues, the innovation is described as a solid-state, shape-shifting, tunable lens that operates without any mechanically moving parts.
The idea is to reduce the size of compact camera modules (CCMs) used in consumer electronics while significantly improving the performance with features like optical zoom, variable focal lengths, and superior image correction.
“This technology not only improves smart phone cameras, allowing for higher-quality imaging, better zoom capabilities, and enhanced low-light performance, but also frees up valuable space within smart phones by reducing the size of CCMs,” stated the firm.
“This extra space enables manufacturers to integrate larger batteries, improved sensors, and additional cutting-edge functionalities, leading to smarter, more powerful devices.”
On its web site LirOptic adds: “Modern smart phones typically feature between three and five fixed focal length cameras to meet a wide range of user needs, from capturing expansive landscapes to close-up selfies. LirOptic’s innovative lens technology introduces a variable focal length, enabling flexible adjustments with a single lens.”
Photonics West launch event
Previously known as PicoGlaze, LirOptic was co-founded by Zerulla, engineer Simon Forsyth, and the serial optics entrepreneur Joe O'Keeffe, whose previous ventures have included the low-light sensor firm SensL, and microLED display developer InfiniLED.
Those companies were acquired by chip giant OnSemi and virtual reality pioneer Oculus, now part of Meta, respectively. According to his LinkedIn profile, O’Keeffe became Meta’s VP of research for augmented reality (AR) for nearly seven years following the InfiniLED buyout.
In a company announcement LirOptic CEO Forsyth said: “We are delighted to announce the unveiling of our adjustable solid-state lens technology, a first-of-its-kind solution which is poised to bring the future of optics into sharper focus by transforming CCM lens design used in consumer electronics to space and medical applications.
“Over the last six months we have collaborated with a multinational consumer electronics company and a US-based firm in the XR [extended reality] space to integrate our new lens technology and enhance existing optical system performance.”
Forsyth added that the startup had attended the recent SPIE Photonics West event in San Francisco, introducing the LirOptics technology to the global optics and photonics community and potential customers with an event at the Consulate General of Ireland.
“It also allowed us to connect with investors as the company is currently raising €3 million in seed funding to grow and scale our operations,” he noted. The firm has previously secured early-stage funding from Enterprise Ireland through the Pre-Seed Start Fund (PSSF).
Adaptable lens and mirror
Although LirOptic has not described the technology behind the novel components in detail, a paper by Zerulla and UCD researcher Silas O’Toole presented at the 2024 SPIE Photonics Europe event describes “an adaptable lens and mirror technology capable of a full range of focal lengths and shapes”.
In the paper’s abstract, the authors explain that by using transparent oxides and the Joule heating effect, local temperature changes can be induced to cause material expansion in a pre-defined shape based on thermal distribution.
By creating a constriction in the conductive layer resistance can be added to the material, creating a localized heating element on the millimeter scale or even smaller, they wrote.
“Actively changing the optical systems can be realized on the millisecond timescale, additionally allowing an almost arbitrary lens shape as well as variable focal length.”
In June 2024 the company also agreed a two-year development partnership with the European Space Agency (ESA) aimed at creating a specialized lens tailored for space applications.
Specifically aimed at enhancing adaptive optics for Earth observation applications, the free-form lens is intended to correct perturbations caused by the Earth's atmosphere, allowing for clearer and more precise imaging from space.
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