A Biomimetic Eye with Perovskite Nanowire

The term “Biomimetics” derived from Ancient Greek, refers to life imitation. It is an interdisciplinary field in which comes from biology, engineering, and chemistry concepts. Biomimetics is applied to the synthesis of machines, or devices, which have functions that mimic real-life biological processes.

Prof. Fan Zhiyoung, Department of Electronic and Computer Engineering, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong SAR, China, and his team (from the University of California and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, USA) has reported on the effective biological eye results with a new development “Biomimetic Eye” with supportive components such as hemispherical shape retina and perovskite nanowires [1].

Our eyes possess exceptional image and sensing nature, which selectively express the wide field of view, resolution, and sensitivity [2]. A specialty of biomimetic eye parts with such highlighted characteristics is a desirable one, specifically in robotics and visual prostheses. However, particularly the spherical in shape and the retina of the biological eye pose an enormous fabrication challenge for biomimetic eye devices [3, 4]. They have represented an electrochemical eye (EC-EYE) with a hemispherical retina made of a high-quality response and density array of nanowires mimicking the actual photoreceptors on a human eye retina. High structural notification of EC-EYE is matching to the human eye, with the effect to gain quality imaging resolution. In addition, they demonstrate the functionality of our biomimetic device by remodeling the optical patterns projected onto the device.

Figure 1. A detailed image of the components in an artificial biological eye [1].

Biological eyes are an important sensing organ for the animals in our world. Our human brain system acquire above 80% of input feed about our surroundings using our eyes [5]. A human eye shaped with hemispherical retina (concavely), and also light observed components is notable for its exceptional and selective characteristics including a field of view (FOV) of range (150°–160°), a high resolution of 1 arc min per line pair at the fovea, and good adaptivity to the optical claim in the environment [2]. Mimicking the human part (eyes), artificial vision part systems are important in autonomous artificial technologies such as robotics machines. The dome shape of the human retina has the benefits of reducing the complexity of optical systems by reciprocal compensating from the curved focal plane. At present principle, a hemispherical image sensor is required, when a newly designed device mimicking that of the real human eye (retina) can gain this perspective goal. The major role of complementary-metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) and commercial charge-coupled device (CCD) image sensors performance monitor through planar microfabrication processes and hemispherical device fabrication is not simple with a compacted one.

Gu et al., and his scientific team express a new concept and demonstrate an artificial visual way by a particular biomimetic electrochemical eye (EC-EYE) with a suitable hemispherical retina, which one is the support of perovskite nanowire is grown (vapour-phase approach). In this device, two contact probabilities between (i) An electrolyte (ionic liquid) - nanowires in front side contact and (ii) liquid-metal wires have a connection to the nanowire photosensors behind the retina in backside contact [1].

They have received from that EC-EYE, the characterizations such as high responsively, effective speed, low detection, and wide FOV. Scientific supportive study and analysis helped us to gain more knowledge, understanding, and better performance of hemispherical the artificial retina in photoreceptors, and image resolutions.

A combined research team from China and the USA carried out the new Electrochemical Eye (EC-EYE) system with the human eye. Our brain system has a multi-response organism for parallel processing due to the network of two eyes and recognition of visual and optical images. Internal structural arrangements with core components such as lens, spherical cavity content, and a hemispherical retina is used to exchange the observing images into neuroelectric signals.

New EC-EYE devices with their component labels are shown in Figure 1. It shows details of the component in the structure of EC-EYE with selective electrolyte and various inorganic materials, which one is closely similar to the working concept and principle of the human eye (retina). This overall system is an alternative source for peoples, who under the light loss and blind problem of the human eye with retina issues. Researchers were clarified with proof via fabricated photodetector (10 × 10) material array with selective pitch size (1.6 mm), reduce pixel size, and imaging resolution.

They completed the demonstration of a biomimetic eye, which shows the high-density light-sensitive perovskite nanowires. EC-EYE has better imaging resolution than the human eye, due to complete packed components such as artificial retina made of an effective density role of perovskite nanowire array in a hemispherical nanosized Porous Aluminium Oxide Membrane (PAM). The vapour phase deposition process is used to complete the overall biomimetic eye. Multi-faced application of Biomimetic concepts is helpful to the problematic real human eye by artificial developed biomimetic eye. Inspired designs of devices enriched in application point of view in consumer electronic and assisted robotics.

Our SNB team recommended this research article to help the reader to know about biomimetic models and bio-inspired technologies scope and vision will always be ruling us. In some cases, delightful results more than the real biological organism with affordable inorganic nanomaterials. Here they highlighted the electrochemical eye with the help of hemispherical retina, ionic liquid, and perovskite nanowire arrays with high resolution and excellent adaptivity to our biological system. Biomimetic models, are the one which is going to occupy our global requirements very soon.

References

L. Gu et al., Nature 581, 278 (2020).
D. A. Atchison, et al., Optics of the Human Eye Vol. 35 (Butterworth-Heinemann, 2000).
J. Zhang et al., ACS Nano 8, 3483 (2014).
D. Qin et al., Nat. Protocols 5, 491 (2010).
D. C. D. Pocock et al., Trans. Inst. Br. Geogr. 6, 385 (1981).

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Dr. K. Rajkumar

Central University of Tamil Nadu,

Thiruvarur, Tamil Nadu, India.

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