ABSTRACT
This chapter introduces information and communication applications of smart complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) image sensors. It presents two topics of applications for smart CMOS image sensors: capsule endoscopes and retina prosthesis. Medical applications require very compact imaging systems, because they may be introduced into the human body through swallowing or being implanted. Smart CMOS image sensors are suitable for these applications because of their small volume, low power consumption, integrated and functions. In optical wireless communications, it is effective to use two-dimensional detector arrays to enhance the receiver efficiency. Replacing such two-dimensional detector arrays with a smart CMOS image sensor dedicated to fast optical wireless communication has some advantages. The sensor has two functional modes: image sensor mode and communication mode. Systems using a smart CMOS image sensor have a further benefit in that they can employ space division multiplexing and thus increase the bandwidth of the communication.
