There have been many previous attempts to develop the camera imitate the eyes of insects, fish and other living things. However, the development of artificial vision systems that can see both underwater and on land is obviously quite limited. Furthermore, biomimetic cameras are often limited by their 180-degree field of view. Now, a team of scientists from MIT’s Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL), Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology (GIST), and Seoul National University in South Korea have developed a new artificial vision system with 360 degree field- view can work on amphibious machine.
The team was inspired by semi-terrestrial crabs, which have a 3D omnidirectional field of view. They have evolved to be able to see almost everything on land and in water at the same time to avoid attacks and to communicate with field crabs. Scientists seem to be having trouble figuring out how to maintain the camera’s focus when the environment changes, which is why the team decided to take a closer look at this crab.
The resulting artificial eye is an immaculate ball of black, combining various materials and lenses. Its configuration allows light rays from multiple sources to focus at the same point regardless of the refractive index of its surroundings – in other words, whether the device is underwater or not. The team tested the technology by conducting experiments in the air and in water: Specifically, they projected “lovely” objects in the shape of dolphins, planes, submarines, fish, and ships at at different distances and at different distances. angles into the artificial vision system. Result? They discovered that their camera could successfully see objects whether they were submerged in water or not.
Young Min Song, professor of electrical engineering and computer science at GIST, said:
“Our system can be used in the development of unique applications, such as panoramic motion detection and obstacle avoidance in constantly changing environments, as well as virtual and augmented reality. “
Other potential uses Song did not mention include population monitoring and environmental monitoring, which could make the technology an invaluable tool for closely monitoring endangered, vulnerable species hurt and threatened. You can see the scientists’ paper with more details on the new vision system in Nature.
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