Issue 18, 2014

Insect–Human Hybrid Eye (IHHE): an adaptive optofluidic lens combining the structural characteristics of insect and human eyes

Abstract

Insect compound eyes and human camera eyes are two exquisite optical systems created by nature. The compound eye boasts an angle of view (AOV) up to 180° thanks to its hemispherical arrangement of hundreds of prime microscale lenses. The camera eye, on the other hand, can change shape to focus on objects at various depths, yet accepts light within a smaller AOV. Imitations of either imaging system have been abundant but with limited success. Here, we describe a reconfigurable polymeric optofluidic device that combines the architectural merits of both vision mechanisms, featuring a large AOV (up to 120°) with adaptive focusing capabilities (from 0 to 275 diopter (D)). This device consists of bi-layered microfluidics: an array of millimeter-sized fluidic lenses is integrated into the top layer and arranged on an elastomeric membrane embedded within the bottom layer. The membrane can be deformed from a planar surface into a series of dome-shaped geometries, rearranging individual fluidic lenses in desired curvilinear layouts. Meanwhile, each fluidic lens can vary its radius of curvature for a monocular depth sensation. Such a design presents a new perspective of tunable optofluidics for a broad range of applications, such as robotic vision and medical laparoendoscopy, where adaptive focalization with a large viewing angle is a clear advantage.

Graphical abstract: Insect–Human Hybrid Eye (IHHE): an adaptive optofluidic lens combining the structural characteristics of insect and human eyes

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
25 Mar 2014
Accepted
23 Jun 2014
First published
23 Jun 2014

Lab Chip, 2014,14, 3594-3602

Author version available

Insect–Human Hybrid Eye (IHHE): an adaptive optofluidic lens combining the structural characteristics of insect and human eyes

K. Wei, H. Zeng and Y. Zhao, Lab Chip, 2014, 14, 3594 DOI: 10.1039/C4LC00363B

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