Curvilinear Camera Detector could Revolutionize Robot Vision
Image: Optics.org
With the potential to revolutionize robot vision, National Science Foundation (NSF) funded US researchers from the University of Illinois have developed a silicon camera detector with a hemispherically shaped surface.
Made using the same silicon technology as modern day detectors, they can be 'stretched' into shapes matching eyes found in biology, such as insects, or even the human eye. This is highly beneficial as it greatly improves the field of view, as well as other benefits reported by the researchers.
The technology involves using traditional rigid silicon wafers, 'dicing' them into individual pixels, then laying them onto a stretchable membrane with interconnecting wires for transmitting data. The researchers say that because the technology is based on established materials and manufacturing processes, improving the current 256-pixel sensor resolution would not be difficult.
More information can be found on BBC, AZoNano.com, and Optics.org.
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