An international team of scientists from the US and UK has developed a video camera that mimics the vision of birds, dogs, bees and other creatures. The study was published in the scientific journal magazine PLOS Biology (PLOS Bio).
Color, depth, and other visual abilities are determined by the composition of the photoreceptors in our eyes as well as other biological mechanisms, such as the combination of cones and rods. Animals and insects such as bats and mosquitoes can detect infrared (IR) light, while butterflies and some birds can detect ultraviolet (UV) light. Both colors are outside the color spectrum that humans can see.
The team created a portable 3D printed device. It contains a beam splitter that separates ultraviolet light from visible light, each of which is recorded using a separate sensor.
The camera captures video in four color channels (blue, green, red, and UV) and then processes it to make the images appear as if they were shot through the eyes of a particular animal, based on what scientists know about eyeballs.
Algorithms then align the images and present the images from different animals’ perspectives. Average accuracy was 92%, but some tests yielded 99% positive results.
“We have long been fascinated by the way animals see the world. Modern methods in sensory ecology allow us to understand how static scenes might appear to an animal. However, animals and birds often make important decisions regarding moving targets (locating food, evaluating a potential mate, etc.).
“We introduce hardware and software tools for ecologists and filmmakers that can dynamically capture and display animals’ color perception,” said senior study author Daniel Hanley.
Previously, scientists for the first time contacted to the whale on its tongue through an underwater speaker.