Researchers at a German medical institute have created a camera lens so tiny that you can only barely see it with the naked eye. The electronic eye measures just 1.5 millimeters at its widest, and is designed to peer inside the human body in endoscopic procedures. Obviously, the smaller the device being inserted into your body, the better, so news of such a miniscule camera is certainly important from a medical standpoint. The new camera is impressive for another reason as well: it's disposable. The materials used in its construction make the mini lens cheap enough to be tossed after each operation, meaning no more sterilizing and reusing the same camera multiple times.
The new technology could be utilized in non-medical avenues as well, such as in consumer electronics, surveillance, and automotive applications. Imagine a surveillance camera so tiny that a crook would overlook it entirely. Or a smartphone with a front-facing camera so small it can fit unseen on the edge of the LCD display. That's the kind of future we can look forward to, thanks to a camera the size of a grain of salt.