Artificial compound eye with fractal zone plate arrays

Abstract

This work reports the artificial compound eye using fractal zone plate (FraZP) arrays. Spherically arranged optical elements (ommatidia) of compound eyes facilitate wide field-of-view (FOV) imaging. However, due to the lack of curved image sensors, it was difficult to integrate hemispherical shape of an artificial compound eye with commercially available flat image sensors. FraZP gives sufficient variation of focal length compared to a micro lens fabricated by reflow process. Flat image plane can be easily obtained by controlling the focal length of each FraZP so that 3-dimensional structure of the artificial compound eye is compatible to a conventional image sensor.