Bioinspired artificial eyes: Optic components, digital cameras, and visual prostheses

Abstract

The diverse vision systems found in nature can provide interesting design inspiration for imaging devices, ranging from optical subcomponents to digital cameras and visual prostheses, with more desirable optical characteristics compared to conventional imagers. The advantages of natural vision systems include high visual acuity, wide field of view, wavelength-free imaging, improved aberration correction and depth of field, and high motion sensitivity. Recent advances in soft materials, ultrathin electronics, and deformable optoelectronics have facilitated the realization of novel processes and device designs that mimic biological vision systems. This review highlights recent progress and continued efforts in the research and development of bioinspired artificial eyes. At first, the configuration of two representative eyes found in nature: a single-chambered eye and a compound eye, is explained. Then, advances in bioinspired optic components and image sensors are discussed in terms of materials, optical/mechanical designs, and integration schemes. Subsequently, novel visual prostheses as representative application examples of bioinspired artificial eyes are described.