Power consumption is a concern for everyone. But what if devices could run indefinitely with only sunlight to power them? A team at Columbia University has developed a camera that will do just that.
According to Popular Science: "The computer vision lab at Columbia University, led by computer scientist Shree K. Nayar, created this ever-lasting camera by making photodiodes—devices that convert light into electricity —do double duty. In digital cameras, photodiodes measure light. In solar panels, they harvest energy. The eternal camera’s photodiodes do both jobs. This enables the camera to generate enough power to take photos forever—as long as there’s light available.
Nayar’s team began by building just one double-duty photodiode. Mounted on a robot that slowly moved it in a grid, it captured an entire picture one pixel at a time, which took about an hour. The current iteration of the camera incorporates 1,200 pixels and takes a photo every second, displaying the images on an external monitor.
The group next plans to reduce the camera’s size while increasing its speed and resolution. That way it could be used for specialty projects where size and access to power are concerns: to track wildlife as part of conservation projects, to use less power on space-exploration missions, or to provide round-the-clock security."
About the Author
Alexis GajewskiAlexis Gajewski
Senior Content Strategist
Alexis Gajewski is a manufacturing writer and editor with nearly 20 years of experience covering the people, practices, and technologies that keep industrial facilities running. For more than a decade, she served as Senior Content Strategist for Plant Services, creating content for plant managers, engineers, and maintenance professionals on a variety of industrial topics.
During her tenure, Alexis worked to develop the brand’s digital strategy and helped launch and produce Great Question: A Manufacturing Podcast. She also created The Lighter Side of Manufacturing, a weekly blog that explored the inventive and sometimes humorous side of the industry.
Alexis co-founded Influential Women in Manufacturing, a recognition program that honored 49 women in its first two years, earned an industry award for Best Product Launch, and received a proclamation from Illinois Governor JB Pritzker and a commendation from U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth.
She also led newsroom operations and development at a large media company where she set editorial standards, developed training curriculum, and helped support AI adoption for more than 150 editors across 80+ brands spanning manufacturing, industrial processing, automation, and more.
Additionally, Alexis works as a freelance writer and editor, and her areas of interest include continuous improvement, the skilled workforce, and the role of emerging technology on the plant floor.
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