Scientists Have Developed An Artificial Vision System For Amphibious Robots
An international team of researchers from South Korea and the United States, based on the visual organs of crabs, has developed a new artificial vision system that can operate both in terrestrial and aquatic environments.
Most existing sensors and cameras are designed to operate either on land or in the aquatic environment. Artificial vision systems based on biotechnology, capable of operating in two environments at once, are still few.
The new product allows robots to gain a 360-degree view, helping them to effectively detect obstacles and navigate freely in space.
“Previous designs (including our team’s) with wide-field cameras have had a field of view of less than 180°, which is not enough for a ‘full’ panoramic view. We wanted to develop a 360° camera that would shoot both on land and underwater,” said Young Min Song, one of the researchers.
It is noted that scientists were inspired by the arrangement of the eyes of fiddler crabs. These crabs get a full panoramic view of the area without moving their eyes or body. To artificially recreate the animal’s eyes, the researchers used a flat camera lens.
Thus, the microlenses used by scientists maintain the focal length even when the external refractive index between air and water changes. In the future, it is planned to equip amphibian robots with an artificial vision system.
