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Created a smart single-pixel camera that mimics the human eye
BackResearchers from the University of Glasgow (Scotland, UK) have developed a unique camera design, the matrix of which contains only one photosensitive element, a pixel.
Researchers from the University of Glasgow (Scotland, UK) have developed a unique camera design, the matrix of which contains only one photosensitive element, a pixel. But due to the use of principles implemented by nature in the structure of the human eye, this camera is capable of producing sufficiently high-quality images. Instead of shooting the entire area with a uniform resolution, this camera focuses on the most important details, and everything else and the background are shot with the lowest possible resolution.
The experiments with scanning cameras having only one pixel were not carried out because of the low cost of such cameras. Their main advantage is that when using a sensor of the appropriate type, they are able to shoot in those parts of the electromagnetic spectrum that are not available to cameras with multi-megapixel sensors, for example, in the terahertz and long-wave infrared spectrum. And now, after developing algorithms that allow single-pixel cameras to focus only on certain details, such cameras will become a very useful tool for scientists conducting research in various fields.

During the experiments, scientists took a picture with a single-pixel camera, measuring only 1000 by 1000 pixels, which by today's standards can be considered a very low resolution. However, those important areas where the camera’s “attention” was focused were shot with a level of detail that matches the quality of shooting with a camera with a sensor of several megapixels.
In conclusion, it should be noted that the basis of this invention was the work of Professor Miles Padgett (Miles Padgett), whose group focused on the production of three-dimensional images and on penetrating through materials that are opaque in the optical range. And now, researchers are finalizing the technology they developed, after which they will begin to look for opportunities for its practical application in science and industry.