Unmanned aircraft inspired by insect compound eyes

Future small unmanned drones can "see" the world through tiny sensors inspired by insect compound eyes.

Micro-drone aircraft inspired by insect eyes

Researchers have just tested a small and light enough sensor design to fit on the smallest unmanned drones, allowing them to detect and avoid aerial collisions in time.

The double-eyed structure of insects helps scientists build ultra-small drones.(Photo: Discover Magazine.)

Like most devices, scientists are looking to create drones that are getting smaller and smaller for various reasons. A tiny unmanned aircraft will be harder to detect and can perform secret reconnaissance missions. They are also useful in the event of a disaster to observe the situation inside a collapsed building, located through hard-to-reach nooks in search of survivors.

The problem lies in the fact that current drones use cameras attached to the body. These cameras are too massive and heavy with a plane version weighing less than 50 milligrams. Therefore, researchers are testing photosensitive eyes weighing 2 milligrams and only as big as a tick. These eyes act similar to the eyes of flying insects.

Insect eyes produce low resolution images. However, thanks to a multitude of small lenses, they are extremely sensitive to changes in light reflection while moving, or objects moving in the surrounding environment. This way helps insects avoid collisions.

The researchers created an artificial eye with three triangular photodetectors to simulate the insect's ability to detect the eye. A lens is placed at the top. Each photodetector is responsible for measuring light changes independently, and an algorithm will combine the results of three devices to judge the speed and direction of motion.

Algorithms included in the processor chip will let the aircraft know the location of the obstacle, the distance to the plane and the time before the collision.

Research on artificial eyes was published in the Royal Society Interface magazine last month. The goal of scientists is to combine many artificial eyes on an unmanned aircraft so that it can "look around", avoid collisions, stabilize flight paths, take off and land.