How thin can a camera be? Very, say Rice University researchers who have developed patented prototypes of their technological breakthrough.
FlatCam, invented by the labs of Rice DSP faculty members Richard Baraniuk and Ashok Veeraraghavan, is little more than a thin sensor chip with a mask that replaces the lenses in a traditional camera.
Making it practical are the sophisticated computer algorithms that process what the sensor detects and converts the sensor measurements into images and videos. More info.