Bionic compound eye for 3D motion detection using an optical freeform surface

To achieve a system combining large field of view (FOV), high image quality, high 3D detection accuracy, and high-speed tracking in a close shot, a single-layered compound eye with seven ommatidia is developed. The functional relationship among the FOV, optical axis angle, and overlapping area is established mathematically. Based on the relationship, one center ommatidium and six hexagonally arranged marginal ommatidia with large apertures are set on a spherical substrate to guarantee a large FOV and sufficient overlapping information for 3D imaging. To control the off-axis aberration of the marginal ommatidia, an optical freeform surface is applied. The algorithms of regions of interest and Kalman filter are applied to achieve high-speed capturing. Experiments show that the system can obtain a high-quality image with sufficient overlapping information for 3D tracking in shifting distance.