| How are the Nobel Prize, digital camcorders and | | | | imaging devices. The CCD quickly went to space and |
| telescopes all alike? We discovered that this year | | | | is used in space probes, spy satellites and astronomical |
| when the co-inventors of the CCD won the Nobel | | | | telescopes such as the Hubble Space Telescope. |
| Prize. | | | | Ground based telescopes also quickly changed over |
| Over the past several years, winners of the Nobel | | | | to CCD's. Viewing film plates taken in long exposures |
| Prize have usually been more known for research | | | | by telescopes is a thing of the past. Now images are |
| they have been doing in their fields. But was originally | | | | recorded on CCD's and viewed and processed on |
| conceived to reward those whose focus was on | | | | computers. |
| invention as well as research. And this year's award to | | | | This amazing change in how we record images has |
| the two physicists who worked together to invent the | | | | been the change we are all most familiar with. Modern |
| CCD returns the prize to inventors once again. | | | | digital cameras and camcorders have quickly changed |
| CCD stands for charge-coupled device. This is the | | | | from film to using technology that is a direct |
| inside unit that digital cameras and camcorders use to | | | | descendant of the CCD. Digital photography has |
| collect and capture the light from a scene and record it | | | | quickly replaced film with its ease of use and matching |
| internally in the camera. Willard S Boyle and George E. | | | | or better quality. |
| Smith worked at Bell Labs in 1969 where they | | | | In addition, other uses such as night vision technology |
| developed the technology and worked to create an | | | | for night vision camcorders and night vision goggles all |
| actual working model. After their first attempts, they | | | | use advanced CCD sensors to collect and amplify the |
| had an operational working prototype approximately | | | | light. Uses such as this were not heard of a few |
| one year later. This discovery changed the world of | | | | decades ago. |
| image recording forever. | | | | Smith and Boyle's work in inventing the CCD has truly |
| Since the time of their original work, it has totally | | | | changed the world in a very short time. Their |
| revolutionized all the areas which depend on image | | | | contribution to technology will be long remembered and |
| capture. | | | | applauded. If the granting of the Nobel Prize were to |
| In addition to quick adoption in cameras and | | | | be graded by the actual number of human beings |
| camcorders, CCD technology was also quickly | | | | affected by the discovery, the invention of the CCD |
| adapted to such items as telescopes and medical | | | | would have to rank near or at the top of the list. |