Spider eyes inspire ultra-efficient depth-sensing camera
A new 3D camera inspired by jumping spiders' eyes may well be found in the next generation of battery-operated wearable tech, assistive devices, robots and drones. The technology utilizes “less energy than a nightlight.”
Named the SpiderCam, the prototype from Northwestern University replicates the manner in which the spiders' eyes allow the creatures to gauge distances before making a surprise sideways jump at some unsuspecting victim minding its own business.
“Jumping spiders jump to catch prey, to avoid predators and to get around, and that requires excellent vision,” says Northwestern’s Asst. Prof. Emma Alexander, the study’s corresponding author and expert in bio-inspired computer vision.
Most standard 3D cameras capture images from various viewpoints to estimate depth, either by comparative analysis of each image or through projecting and measuring light. These methods demand significant computing power, expensive hardware and considerable energy consumption.
Human eyes are limited to one retina each, whereas...
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