Hitachi develops Japan's first 'lensless' camera technology

Hitachi Ltd. says it has developed camera technology that can capture video images without a lens and adjust its focal position afterwards, becoming the first Japanese firm to do so. The technology using a special thin film will allow cameras to be lighter and thinner than conventional units, Hitachi said Tuesday. The company aims to commercialize it around 2018. Hitachi said the technology can be used in cars and robots, and in situations like autonomous driving, as the industrial conglomerate is putting its focus on the internet of things, a concept under which everything from electronic devices to cars and factories is connected. The technology captures images through a film on which a concentric circle pattern is printed.