Tiny Artificial Compound Eye could help Tiny Robots
 |
| Image: courtesy Dario Floreano / Swiss Federal Institute of Technology |
Compound eyes have many advantages over human eyes. A team at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (EPFL) has built an artificial compound eye. The ability to see in all direction and less distortion makes compound eyes superior. Thus compound eyes would be very useful for robots, especially tiny robots (because the amount of light a single lens can take up is directly proportional to its size. A compound eye combines lots of small lenses, simulating a bigger one – and offering the 180 degree field of vision). It will also be used for unmanned vehicles, 3D imaging etc.
The group, led by Dario Floreano, designed three layers. One is a microscopic array of lenses, the next is a light-sensitive array that mimics the circuitry of an insect brain, and a flexible printed circuit board that provides structural support and handles signal processing. They put it in a tiny curved, thin package, so that they would get a field of view comparable to that of a fly. It’s curved so that the light-sensors can fit around the electronics. According to Floreano , the device picks up motion at 150 frames per second and gives a near-panoramic, undistorted view.
The group, led by Dario Floreano, designed three layers. One is a microscopic array of lenses, the next is a light-sensitive array that mimics the circuitry of an insect brain, and a flexible printed circuit board that provides structural support and handles signal processing. They put it in a tiny curved, thin package, so that they would get a field of view comparable to that of a fly. It’s curved so that the light-sensors can fit around the electronics. According to Floreano , the device picks up motion at 150 frames per second and gives a near-panoramic, undistorted view.
Source: Discovery news
No comments:
Post a Comment