Related Experiment Video
Updated: Oct 9, 2025
10:14
Fabrication and Operation of Acoustofluidic Devices Supporting Bulk Acoustic Standing Waves for Sheathless Focusing of Particles
Published on: March 6, 2016
13.0K
A DIY Fabrication Approach for Ultra-Thin Focus-Tunable Liquid Lens Using Electrohydrodynamic Pump
Taichi Murakami1, Yu Kuwajima1, Ardi Wiranata1,2
1Department of Mechanical Engineering, Shibaura Institute of Technology, Tokyo 135-8548, Japan.
Micromachines
|December 24, 2021
Summary
This study presents a low-cost, do-it-yourself liquid lens using electrohydrodynamics (EHD) for variable focus applications. The EHD lens offers a compact and simple alternative to traditional mechanical lens systems.
Area of Science:
- Optics and Photonics
- Fluid Dynamics
- Materials Science
Background:
- Increasing demand for variable focus lenses in smart devices and drones.
- Limitations of conventional mechanical lens systems (complexity, bulkiness, rigidity).
Purpose of the Study:
- To propose a simple, compact, and low-cost liquid lens controlled by an electrohydrodynamics (EHD) pump.
- To develop a do-it-yourself (DIY) fabrication method for the EHD lens.
- To contribute to the miniaturization of focus-tunable lenses.
Main Methods:
- Fabrication of an EHD lens using a polypropylene sheet, copper electrodes, and an acrylic elastomer fluidic channel.
- Filling the channel with dielectric fluid and pure water.
- Controlling lens magnification by adjusting the curvature of the liquid interface.
- Evaluating lens magnification performance and establishing a numerical model.
Main Results:
- Successful fabrication of a low-cost EHD liquid lens.
- Demonstrated control of lens magnification by altering liquid interface curvature.
- Characterization of lens performance through experimental evaluation and numerical modeling.
Conclusions:
- The proposed EHD liquid lens is a viable, compact, and cost-effective solution for variable focus applications.
- The DIY fabrication method enables accessible production of EHD lenses.
- This research advances the development of miniaturized, focus-tunable optical systems.
