Tunable-focus liquid lens system controlled by antagonistic winding-type SMA actuator

A new tunable-focus liquid lens system is proposed that consists of a liquid-filled PDMS (polydimethylsiloxane) membrane, special liquid injection mechanism based on a cam structure, antagonistic winding-type SMA(shape memory alloys) actuator for changing the surface curvature of the membrane, and liquid injection control system, including a digital signal processing board and actuator driver board. The focal length of the liquid lens is adjusted by changing the radius of the curvature of the liquid lens through redistributing the liquid using an injection mechanism. In the case of liquid lens systems using conventional injection mechanisms, the nonlinear relationship between the focal length change and the actuator displacement makes it difficult to control the focal length of the lens system, as there is only a narrow control range for adjusting the focal length over a wide range. In addition, miniaturization of the lens system is difficult due to the requirement of bulky and heavy actuators, such as an electrical motor and pump[7]. Thus, a relatively light and small SMA actuator is proposed for a compact lens system. This paper then provides a detailed description of the proposed tunable-focus liquid lens system, and an experimental system is also implemented. Finally, the focusing performance of the proposed liquid lens system is analyzed, and its usefulness and effectiveness verified through a series of experiments.