Optical neural network could lead to intelligent cameras

The development could lead to intelligent camera systems that figure out what they are seeing simply by the patterns of light that run through a 3D engineered material structure. Their new design takes advantage of the parallelization and scalability of optical-based computational systems. For example, such systems could be incorporated into self-driving cars or robots, helping them make near-instantaneous decisions faster and using less power than computer-based systems that need additional time to identify an object after it's been seen. The technology was first introduced by the UCLA group in 2018. The system uses a series of 3D-printed wafers or layers with uneven surfaces that transmit or reflect incoming light -- they're reminiscent in look and effect to frosted glass.