Sees better in the dark and at a distance. In South Korea, they created an artificial eye based on a cat's eye

Researchers from Seoul National University, Institute of Science and Technology Gwangju and the Korea Institute of Science and Technology published their findings in the journal Science Advances.

In their work, they replicated two key features of cat eyes that enable cats to see in the dark and detect camouflaged objects.

Modern cameras installed on drones and robots mostly imitate the human eye by using circular apertures. This results in both the foreground and background of the image being in focus. However, this approach complicates the tracking of specific objects. In contrast, the eyes of animals such as cats have vertical pupils that create asymmetrical depth of field. It is this feature that allows cats to track objects more effectively.

The researchers decided to apply this principle in the creation of a new artificial eye. They developed a camera with a vertical aperture, which allows you to keep the target object in focus while leaving the background blurred. This improves target tracking and makes the camera more effective during daytime observations.

Cats have excellent night vision due to the presence of tapetum lucidum — the reflective layer behind the retina, which increases light sensitivity. This layer also makes the cat's eyes glow in the dark. To mimic this feature, engineers added silver metal reflectors behind the image sensor to their artificial eye.

Thanks to these two key features, the new camera is able to see better in low-light conditions and track targets effectively, even if they are disguised. Such a device can be widely used in robotics, drones and other technologies that require high-precision surveillance systems.