Fabrication of liquid-filled zoom compound eyes with a tunable focal length

The conventional bionic compound eye system encounters challenges associated with a complex zoom structure, susceptibility to wear, and elevated costs. In this paper, a preparation method of liquid-filled zoom compound eyes is proposed. A polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) film is integrated with a microfluidic chamber composed of polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA). The microlens array (MLA, hexagonal array, diameter 800 µm, center distance 850 µm) on the PDMS film is prepared by a wettability-guided dipping method. The sub-eye focal length on zoom compound eyes (ZCEs) is 1.42 mm. By controlling the volume of deionized (DI) water injected into the chamber from 2.41 to 2.71cm 3 , the focal length of the main lens is adjusted from infinity to 55.51 mm, and the FOV is adjusted from 32° to 58°. This large aperture ZCE combines the advantages of monocular and compound eyes. This method has great potential for advanced micro-optical devices with a wide field of view and tunable imaging capabilities.