Researchers have recently made a major breakthrough in the field of bionic vision, opening up new avenues for microscopic observation and the development of advanced instruments.
The research, a collaboration between Shanghai University of Science and Technology and Duke University in the United States (US), was published in the journal Science Advances on Thursday (5/22). Inspired by the compound eyes of insects, the scientists have previously developed various imaging systems using microlens and sensor arrays, to achieve initial applications.
However, traditional bionic compound eye systems have long faced limitations due to their complex three-dimensional (3D) structures and limited spatial resolution resulting in blurry imaging.
"We are determined to make the bionic vision system not only able to 'see' the world, but also 'see clearly' and 'understand' it," said Zhang Dawei, professor at Shanghai University of Science and Technology and leader of the research team.
The innovative breakthrough comes from an in-depth bionic study of the structural characteristics and information processing mechanisms of arthropod compound eyes.
Insects rely on hundreds or thousands of tiny visual units working together to instantly respond to complex environments. To mimic that, the research team developed a compact, 0.8 cubic centimeter bionic vision system capable of producing megapixel-level, color, ultrawide-field (165 degrees × 360 degrees) high-resolution imaging.
Using deep learning methods , the team built a multilevel visual processing model that performs tasks such as high-definition panoramic image reconstruction, wide-field multi-target positioning, object recognition, multi-target tracking, and 3D tracking.
These advances enable bionic vision to truly “see clearly and understand,” thereby overcoming traditional limitations.
Chinese Academy of Engineering academic Zhuang Songlin said the research was an example of interdisciplinary innovation by combining bionics with artificial intelligence (AI).
The team is currently refining the structure of the bionic compound eye, with a focus on applications in unmanned micro platforms, endoscopic inspection instruments and other advanced equipment.
