Photorealistic Ray-traced Visualization Approach for the Interactive Biomimetic Design of Insect Compound Eyes

In this study, we propose a biomimetic optical structure design methodology for investigating micro-optical mechanisms associated with the compound eyes of insects. With these compound eyes, insects can respond fast while maintaining a wide field of view. Also, considerable research attention has been focused on the insect compound eyes to utilize these benefits. However, their nano micro-structures are complex and challenging to demonstrate in real applications. An effectively integrated design methodology is required considering the manufacturing difficulty. We show that photorealistic ray-traced visualization is an effective method for designing the biomimetic of a micro-compound eye of an insect. We analyze the image formation mechanism and create a three-dimensional computer-aided design model. Then, a ray-trace visualization is applied to observe the optical image formation. Finally, the segmented images are stitched together to generate an image with a wide-angle; the image is assessed for quality. The high structural similarity index (SSIM) value (approximately 0.84 to 0.89) of the stitched image proves that the proposed MATLAB-based image stitching algorithm performs effectively and comparably to the commercial software. The results may be employed for the understanding, researching, and design of advanced optical systems based on biological eyes and for other industrial applications.