Artificial vision systems are finding an array of applications, including self-driving cars, detection of objects, crop monitoring, and smart cameras. The vision of biological organisms frequently inspires such vision.

For example, a Phys.org report said, human and insect vision has inspired terrestrial artificial vision, whereas fish eyes have resulted in aquatic artificial vision.

While the progress is excellent, existing artificial visions are suffering from some limitations-they are not applicable for imaging both land, and underwater environments, not to mention are limited to a hemispherical field of view.

To address the flaws, a research group from the United States and Korea, including Professor Young Min Song from the Korea-based Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology, has now developed a novel artificial vision system with an omnidirectional imaging ability, which can work in both aquatic and terrestrial territories.

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Fiddler Crab
(Photo: Wikimedia Commons/Toni Wöhrl)
The distinctive features result from the ellipsoidal eye stalk of the compound eyes of the fiddler crab, allowing for panoramic imaging and flat corneas with a graded refractive index profile, enabling amphibious imaging.

Bio-Inspired Vision

The research was made available online and published in the Nature Electronics Bio journal. Studies in bio-inspired vision frequently lead to a novel development that did not exist in the past.

This, in turn, allows a deeper understanding of nature and guarantees that the developed imaging device is both functionally and structurally effective, according to Professor Song, elaborating his motivation behind the study.

The inspiration for this system came from a semiterrestrial crab species known as the fiddler crab, or Uca arcuata, with amphibious imaging ability and a 360-degree FOV.

These distinctive features result from the ellipsoidal eye stalk of the compound eyes of the fiddler crab, allowing for panoramic imaging and flat corneas with a graded refractive index profile, enabling amphibious imaging.

Optical Simulations and Imaging Demonstration

Accordingly, the study authors created a vision system that comprises an array of flat micro-lenses with a graded refractive index profile that was incorporated into a flexible comb-shaped silicon photodiode array and then mounted onto a spherical construction.

The graded refractive index and the micro-lens flat surface were optimized to offset the defocusing impact because of the changes in the external environment.

In simple terms, light rays traveling in different mediums that correspond to different refractive indices were made to concentrate at a similar spot.

The team performed optical simulations and imaging demonstrations in water and air to test their system's capabilities.

Panoramic Visual Field

Amphibious imaging was conducted by submerging the device halfway in the water. To their delight, the images generated in the system were clear free and clear of distortion.

The researchers demonstrated that the system had a panoramic visual field, 300o horizontally and 160o vertically, both in water and air.

In addition, the spherical mount was just two centimeters in diameter, making the system portable and compact.

Professor Song speculated that their vision system could pave the way for 360 degrees of omnidirectional cameras with application in either augmented or virtual reality or all-weather for autonomous vehicles.

Related information about fiddler crabs is shown on Gaiapress Channel's YouTube video below:

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