Glass device can tell objects apart without needing a computer

A device that uses a piece of glass with little bumps on it can distinguish objects based on how they scatter light, removing the need for a camera or a computer

By Karmela Padavic-Callaghan

A piece of glass with tiny little bumps on it can be used to identify objects. The “smart glass” could eventually be a more compact than using cameras and computers to achieve the same aim.

Machine learning algorithms are becoming good at identifying objects but using them usually requires a camera and a computer. This combination fits inside your phone, but Nanfang Yu at Columbia University in New York and his colleagues wanted to make an even smaller object …