Smartphones with multiple cameras and blurry photos could become a thing of the past as engineers have created a flat lens that doesn't need focusing. The technology -- which uses a single lens covered in tiny patterns that is just one-thousandth of an inch thick -- was developed by experts from the University of Utah. Not only could the lens lead to better and more compact cameras, but it could also find applications in biomedical imaging and remote sensing. Smartphones with multiple cameras and blurry photos could become a thing of the past as engineers have created a flat lens that doesn't need focusing, pictured'Our flat lenses can drastically reduce the weight, complexity and cost of cameras and other imaging systems, while increasing their functionality,' said research team leader and engineer Rajesh Menon, of the University of Utah. 'Such optics could enable thinner smartphone cameras, improved and smaller cameras for biomedical imaging such as endoscopy, and more compact cameras for automobiles.'