Researchers at HKUST’s Faculty of Engineering have successfully developed a groundbreaking synthetic compound eye system that surpasses existing products in terms of sensitivity by at least a factor of two in small areas, while also boasting significantly reduced costs. The proposed system promises a groundbreaking transformation of robotic vision, enhancing robots’ abilities in navigation, perception, and decision-making while commercializing industrial software and fostering advancements in human-robot collaboration?
By emulating the advanced capabilities of compound eyes, this innovative system is poised to revolutionize a range of applications, including the enhancement of drone performance in tasks such as precision agriculture and swift emergency response at disaster sites. By enhancing its sensitivity, the system enables more seamless communication among robots and other connected devices. As the compound eye system matures, it is likely to significantly enhance autonomous driving security, thereby accelerating the uptake of intelligent transportation systems, ultimately contributing to the development of smarter cities.
Crafted by the team under the guidance of Professor FAN Zhiyong, Chair Professor at HKUST’s Division of Digital & Pc Engineering and Division of Chemical & Organic Engineering, this groundbreaking expertise represents a big leap ahead within the area of biomimetic imaginative and prescient programs.
Traditionally, roboticists have focused on emulating the prominent visual features of insects, particularly their wide field of view and exceptional motion-detection abilities. Despite the challenges, seamlessly incorporating compound eye-inspired systems into autonomous platforms such as robots or drones remains a significant hurdle due to inherent complexities stemming from deformation-induced instabilities, geometric constraints, and potential discrepancies between optical and detector components.
To handle these challenges, Prof. Fans’ crew developed an innovative pinhole compound vision system through the adoption of novel materials and architectures. The technique optimizes several key features, including an inherent hemispherical perovskite nanowire array imager with high pixel density to expand the imaging area; and a 3D-printed lens-free pinhole array with a customizable structure to govern incident light and eliminate the blind spot between adjacent ommatidia. Due to its exceptional angular selectivity, expansive field of view, and broad spectral response in both monocular and binocular configurations, coupled with its dynamic movement monitoring capabilities, the pinhole compound eye is capable of not only accurately detecting targets but also tracking a moving quadruped robotic platform when integrated onto a drone.
Prof. The innovative compound eye design boasts ease of use, gentleness, and an economical price point. While it may not fully replace traditional cameras, this technology has the potential to significantly enhance certain robotics applications, such as coordination among a swarm of drones flying in close proximity. By shrinking machine dimensions and increasing ommatidia quantity, image processing speed, and response rate, such machines can exhibit versatile applications in optoelectronics and robotics.
As a renowned researcher in biomimetic optoelectronics, Professor The fan is enthusiastic about merging logical approaches with bold creativity to propel innovative thinking in contemporary analysis. Scientists have achieved another milestone with their development of a unique compound eye, building on previous innovations such as the creation of the world’s first spherical synthetic eye with 3D retina in 2020.
The findings of our comprehensive analysis were showcased as a prestigious feature article in a leading international academic journal. Dr. ZHOU Yu (postdoc), Dr. SUN Zhibo and DING Yucheng, as co-first authors, collaborate with Prof. Fan is the corresponding creator.
