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Scientists eye insects for answers to wide-angle sight |
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Written by Eric Watt
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May 01, 2006 at 12:40 AM |
Berkeley scientists have been able to develop a camera based upon an insect's compound eye, yielding an incredible field of vision.
Scientists are increasingly turning to nature for answers to questions and ideas for new areas of research. The oxidation of water to create molecular hydrogen could solve many of our energy problems, yet remains an unviable solution due to the energy costs involved. Much work is being done to use similar techniques that plants have developed for photosynthesis in order to more efficiently remove the protons. Recently, scientists have discovered a bacteria that produces a glue 2-3 times stronger than any that we can produce. Some Berkeley scientists have recently turned to insects to figure out how to see with a much larger field of view.
 Figure I: A compound eye of a dragonfly. Note the large viewing angles allowed. ( Image courtesy of Wikipedia)
Insects use a dome shaped compound eye that can contain many thousands of receptors each oriented in different directions. Combining the sensory information from all of these detectors, the insect is able to see is almost all directions at once. Using the same basic concept, Berkeley bioengineers were able to produce a pinhead-sized compound eye containing thousands of microscopic lenses. Starting with a sheet of polymer containing a honeycomb pattern of concave lens shapes, researchers used vacuum suction to create the dome shape. This was then used as a reusable mold by filling the dome with an epoxy resin. Heating with UV light created a hemisphere with more than 8,000 bumps acting as lenses. The light then burned tunnels through the resin to create a pathway to the photodetector.
The result, a hemisphere covered in lenses, can detect light from all angles. The applications of such a device are very diverse. The funding for the research came in the form of a $500,000 grant from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency which hopes to use the research for missile detection. Combining the two domes to create a spherical camera could be a great utility for doctors who wish to gain a three dimensional view of a patient's gastrointestinal tract. Perhaps the camera could even be combined with the Brain Port for the ultimate in human sensory enhancement.
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