Insects possess an extraordinary ability to detect motion and navigate even in low-light environments, thanks to their highly specialized compound eyes. Now, researchers at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) have developed a camera that mimics this biological marvel, achieving ultra-high-speed imaging while maintaining exceptional sensitivity in dim lighting.
The new bio-inspired camera offers impressive capabilities that surpass the limitations of traditional high-speed cameras. With a slim profile of less than 1 millimeter thick, it can be easily integrated into various systems and applications. The camera is capable of capturing 9,120 frames per second, providing clear, high-resolution images in low-light conditions—just like the insect eyes that inspired it.
Hyun-Kyung Kim, a doctoral student in the Department of Bio and Brain Engineering at KAIST and the study’s first author, highlighted the camera’s groundbreaking performance. “We have experimentally validated that the insect-eye-inspired camera delivers outstanding performance in high-speed and low-light imaging despite its small size,” Kim said.
Insects have compound eyes made up of thousands of tiny, individual units called ommatidia. Each ommatidium operates independently, allowing insects to process visual information from different parts of their visual field simultaneously. This parallel processing capability enables insects to quickly detect and respond to fast-moving objects, such as predators or prey.
Moreover, in low-light conditions, insects enhance their vision by integrating light signals over time, which improves their sensitivity. Inspired by this natural system, the KAIST research team, led by Professors Ki-Hun Jeong and Min H. Kim, designed a camera that emulates these processes.
Traditional high-speed cameras can capture fast-moving objects but often struggle in low-light environments. As frame rates increase, each individual frame captures less light, leading to a decrease in image clarity. This trade-off between speed and sensitivity has been a major limitation for conventional imaging systems.
The new bio-inspired camera overcomes this challenge by utilizing a compound-eye-like structure that allows for parallel frame acquisition. Instead of capturing each frame independently, the camera gathers frames from slightly overlapping time intervals. This method, known as “temporal summation,” accumulates light over time, boosting sensitivity and improving image quality in low-light conditions.
The team’s innovative approach also increases the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), which results in clearer and more accurate images. By gathering more light and enhancing sensitivity, the camera can capture objects that are 40 times darker than what traditional high-speed cameras can detect.
The camera’s “channel-splitting” technique significantly improves both its speed and sensitivity. The researchers report that this method allows the camera to achieve frame rates thousands of times faster than traditional image sensors. As a result, the camera can capture incredibly fast events with outstanding clarity, even in challenging lighting conditions.
“Unlike traditional monocular camera systems, the bio-inspired camera employs a compound-eye-like structure that allows for the parallel acquisition of frames from different time intervals,” the researchers explained. “This parallel acquisition helps the camera gather more light and improve sensitivity when capturing fast-moving objects.”
The new camera holds great promise for a variety of fields, including portable camera systems, security surveillance, and medical imaging. Its ability to capture high-speed motion with clear detail in low-light conditions makes it an ideal tool for environments where traditional cameras would fail.
The research team is now focused on further enhancing this technology. Future developments will include advanced image processing algorithms that will enable the camera to capture 3D images and achieve super-resolution imaging.
With its groundbreaking capabilities, this bio-inspired camera is poised to revolutionize high-speed imaging and open up new possibilities for a wide range of applications.
By Impact Lab