According to a study published recently in The Royal Society Interface researchers from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology have created an artificial eye and navigation system for tiny insect drones that can contribute in the field of disaster-area surveillance or delivering supplies to people in inaccessible areas. This artificial eye designed by the Swiss researchers weighs only two milligrams and made of three photodetectors arranged in a triangular configuration with a lens at the top.

Based on a combination of data received from the photodetectors, the device can determine the speed and direction in its view, with equal ease in poorly lit indoors and bright outdoors and that too three times faster than real-life insects.

The algorithm and design of the photosensor is ready so the researchers now plan to move ahead in the direction of configuring several artificial eyes on one drone to create a more sophisticated visual system. This system is expected to allow the tiny drone to take off, land and stabilize its flying position while in the air.

A plan to develop a strip of artificial eyes called ‘vision tape’ (a flexible patch that can be attached to any type of surface, such as other types of robots or even furniture or clothing) is also in the pipeline.

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Author:Technology and Beyond