New Apple technology puts artificial muscle behind camera

Apple’s artificial muscle camera lens actuator patent application was filed for on the 19th of June.

According to the patent, the artificial muscle technology uses electroactive polymer (EAP) material. The patent describes a muscle-like focusing and aperture system built from EAP — a type of “smart material” that changes its shape when it’s subjected to an electric field. Situated at the tip of the artificial muscle structure is an opening to be used as the aperture — which can be variably displaced via complementary electrodes attached or screen printed onto the front and back of the layer.

Source: AppleInsider

According to AppleInsider, this technology is advantageous because it is very compact, and consumes extremely low levels of power. The invention will allow Apple to equip its future devices with much more capable optics.