Translational Motion Recovery Using an Artificial Compound Eye Scheme: Development of Artificial Planar-array Compound-like Eyes Which Mimic the Mechanisms at Work in Biological Compound Eyes

This dissertation presents a technique for recovering translational motion parameters using two simplified planar compound-like eye schemes, namely a parallel trinocular system and a single-row Superposition-type Planar Compound-like Eye (SPCE). The former resolves the matrix singularity problem encountered when attempting to recover motion parameters using a conventional binocular scheme. Additional charge coupled device (CCD) cameras are added in the horizontal direction to create a single- row SPCE. The latter then presented in this dissertation demonstrates a high degree of robustness toward noise and enables the motion estimation process to be performed in an accurate and computationally efficient manner without any kind of filters. Whilst science can not realistically hope to improve upon the visioning capabilities found in the insect world, the techniques presented in this dissertation nonetheless provide a sound foundation for the development of artificial planar-array compound-like eyes which mimic the mechanisms at work in biological compound eyes and attain an enhanced visioning performance as a result.