A new optical system that mimics the human eye’s ability to adapt from bright to dark conditions in seconds could help self-driving vehicles better navigate their environment, according to a study.
Self-driving vehicles and sophisticated robots use advanced cameras, computer algorithms and AI to perceive their surroundings. However, these ‘artificial eyes’ struggle to remain reliable when the surrounding environment changes from bright to dark.
In a study, co-led by Pennsylvania State University (Penn State) in the US, researchers took inspiration from the mechanics of the human eye to develop a new optical system that can rapidly adapt in changing light.
“Self-driving cars are exposed to a mixture of light levels in use – imagine the contrast of the dark sky with the bright headlights of other cars when driving at night,” said Larry Cheng, associate professor of engineering science and mechanics at Penn State and co-corresponding author of the study. “It can be difficult for an artificial...