Computer scientists unveil new camera inspired by human eye : Tech : Tech Times

Computer scientists at the University of Maryland have unveiled a new camera inspired by the mechanics of the human eye. It is designed to improve the way robots perceive and react to their environment.

New camera inspired by the human eye

Event cameras are a relatively recent innovation. They excel at tracking moving objects, but still struggle to capture clear, blur-free images in dynamic environments.

This limitation poses challenges for applications such as robotics and autonomous vehicles that rely on precise visual data to navigate and interact effectively in real-time scenarios, according to the study’s lead author, Botao He, a doctoral student in computer science at UMD.

He explained that their camera, called the Artificial Microsaccade-Enhanced Event Camera (AMI-EV), was inspired by observing how the human eye maintains focus through microsaccades – small, involuntary eye movements that stabilize vision on a target despite movement.

These microsaccades allow humans to perceive details such as color, depth and shadows. The team integrated a rotating prism into the AMI-EV to mimic this biological mechanism.

This prism redirects the light captured by the camera lens, simulating the continuous movement observed in the human eye during microsaccades. Software algorithms were then developed to compensate for the prism movement, ensuring stable image capture even in the midst of dynamic scenes.

(Photo: Mario from Pixabay)

AMI-EV Camera Features

Professor Yiannis Aloimonos, co-author of the study and director of the UMIACS Computer Vision Laboratory, highlighted the importance of this innovation in advancing robotic perception.

He compared the role of the camera in robots to that of the human eye and pointed out that better cameras translate directly into improved perception and decision-making capabilities in robotics. Beyond robotics, the researchers foresee broad applications in various industries that rely on high-quality image capture and analysis.

According to the study, the AMI-EV’s unique features, including superior performance in challenging lighting conditions, low latency and minimal power consumption, make it suitable for applications ranging from virtual reality to security surveillance and space exploration.

Researcher Cornelia Fermüller, lead author of the paper, highlights the potential of event sensors and AMI-EV in smart wearable technologies, where fast motion calculation is crucial for seamless user experiences.

In early tests, the team reported that AMI-EV accurately captures rapid movements, such as detecting human impulses and quickly identifying moving shapes.

It outperformed conventional commercial cameras by capturing tens of thousands of frames per second, far exceeding the 30 to 1,000 frames per second typical of traditional cameras.

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Extended applications

The team added that the implications of this advancement extend to areas such as augmented reality, in which realistic representation of motion enhances user immersion, and astronomy, where accurate image capture in dynamic environments is essential.

Aloimonos pointed out that the potential applications of AMI-EV are vast, ranging from improving the capabilities of autonomous vehicles to enhancing the performance of smartphone cameras. The team believes its innovation could contribute to the development of advanced systems capable of addressing complex challenges in various technological fields.

The team’s results were published in the journal Science Robotics.

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