A $500 “nano-camera” that can operate at the speed of light has been developed by researchers in the MIT Media Lab. The three-dimensional camera, which was presented last week at Siggraph Asia in Hong Kong, could be used in medical imaging and collision-avoidance detectors for cars, and to improve the accuracy of motion tracking and gesture-recognition devices used in interactive gaming.

Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have developed a low-cost 3D “nano-camera” that can operate at the speed of light, improving upon current technology that’s used in cameras like the one in the second-generation Xbox Kinect. Costing $500, the camera, which was demonstrated last week at the Siggraph Asia conference in Hong Kong, could be used in medical imaging and vehicle collision-avoidance detection, as well as enhanced accuracy of motion tracking and gesture-recognition devices in gaming. The development team dubbed the technology as “nanophotography.”