An Aquatic-Vision-inspired Camera Based on a Monocentric Lens and a Silicon Nanorod Photodiode Array

Conventional wide-field-of-view cameras consist of multi-lens optics and flat image sensor arrays, which makes them bulky and heavy. As a result, they are poorly suited to advanced mobile applications such as drones and autonomous vehicles. In nature, the eyes of aquatic animals consist of a single spherical lens and a highly sensitive hemispherical retina, an approach that could be beneficial in the development of synthetic wide-field-of-view imaging systems. Here, we report an aquatic-vision-inspired camera that consists of a single monocentric lens and a hemispherical silicon nanorod photodiode array. The imaging system features a wide field of view, miniaturized design, low optical aberration, deep depth of field and simple visual accommodation. Furthermore, under vignetting, the photodiode array enables high-quality panoramic imaging due to the enhanced photodetection properties of the silicon nanorod photodiodes.