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Abstract The vision system of arthropods such as insects and crustaceans is based on the compound-eye architecture, consisting of a dense array of individual imaging elements (ommatidia) pointing along different directions. This arrangement is particularly attractive for imaging applications requiring extreme size miniaturization, wide-angle fields of view, and high sensitivity to motion. However, the implementation of cameras directly mimicking the eyes of common arthropods is complicated by their curved geometry. Here, we describe a lensless planar architecture, where each pixel of a standard image-sensor array is coated with an ensemble of metallic plasmonic nanostructures that only transmits light incident along a small geometrically-tunable distribution of angles. A set of near-infrared devices providing directional photodetection peaked at different angles is designed, fabricated, and tested. Computational imaging techniques are then employed to demonstrate the ability of these devices to reconstruct high-quality images of relatively complex objects.
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This content will become publicly available on April 25, 2026
LumosX: 3D Printed Anisotropic Light-Transfer
Light’sinteraction with objectsurfacesthrough anisotropic reflection– where reflected light varies with viewing angles–offers significant potential for enhancing visual capabilities and assisting informed decision-making. Such ubiquitous light transfer phenomenon supports directional information encoding in sensing and dynamic display applications. We present LumosX, a set of techniques for encoding and decoding information through light intensity changes using 3D-printed optical anisotropic properties. By optimizing directional reflection and brightness contrasts through off-the-shelf materials and precise control over processing parameters (e.g., extrusion volume, raster angles, layer height, nozzle positioning), we enable cost-effective fabrication of visually enhanced objects. Our method supports modular assembly for highly curved regular surfaces and direct printing on top of relatively flat curved surfaces, enabling flexible information encoding for diverse applications. We showcase LumosX’s effectiveness through various indoor and smart urban sensing scenarios, demonstrating significant improvements in both human interaction and autonomous machine perception.
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- PAR ID:
- 10618040
- Publisher / Repository:
- ACM
- Date Published:
- ISBN:
- 9798400713941
- Page Range / eLocation ID:
- 1 to 21
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Location:
- Yokohama Japan
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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