A team of researchers at the School of Engineering of the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) has broken new ground with the development of an innovative artificial compound eye system. Unlike current offerings on the market, this system is not only more cost-effective, but also boasts a sensitivity that's at least two times greater. This robust system holds potential to set new standards in robotic vision and to enhance various aspects of robotic functionality, including navigation, perception, decision-making abilities, and human-robot collaboration.
Thanks to its advanced capabilities, the artificial compound eye system can have vast applications. For instance, it can greatly enhance the accuracy and efficiency of drones performing tasks like irrigation or emergency rescue operations in disaster zones. This innovative system's sensitivity facilitates stronger synchronicity among robots and other interconnected devices with the long-term view of boosting the safety of autonomous driving and promoting the use of intelligent transport systems hence, aiding in the development of smart cities.
The technology represents a significant advancement within biomimetic vision systems and was developed by a team under the guidance of Prof. FAN Zhiyong, who is based at HKUST's Department of Electronic & Computer Engineering and Department of Chemical & Biological Engineering.
Historically, the focus within robotics has mainly been on replicating the vision capabilities of insects, given their broad field of view and top-notch motion-tracking skills. The complexity and instability during deformation, geometric constraints, along with potential mismatches between optical and detector components, posed several challenges that needed to be overcome to integrate compound eye systems into autonomous platforms like robots or drones.
However, Prof. Fan's team overcame these by developing a pinhole compound vision system using novel materials and structures. This design, which leverages a hemispherical perovskite nanowire array imager coupled with a 3D-printed lens-free pinhole array, dual monocular and binocular configurations, as well as effective motion-tracking abilities, can not only precisely identify targets but is even capable of tracking a moving quadruped robot once incorporated onto a drone.
Through further device minification, an increase in the number of ommatidia, and enhancements in imaging resolution and response speed, Prof. Fan believes that this form of device could contribute significantly to numerous applications within the realms of optoelectronics and robotics.
Prof. Fan, a high-profile researcher in the field of biomimetic optoelectronics, has a track record of combining practical approaches with audacious imaginations to drive innovative research. This ground-breaking artificial compound eye denotes yet another significant breakthrough in vision and robotic systems since his development of the world’s first spherical artificial eye with 3D retina in 2020.
The findings of this research were published in the highly-regarded international journal, Science Robotics. Prof. Fan is the corresponding author of the research paper, and the co-first authors include Dr. ZHOU Yu, Dr. SUN Zhibo, and DING Yucheng.
Disclaimer: The above article was written with the assistance of AI. The original sources can be found on ScienceDaily.
