This innovation might lead to cheaper groceries by allowing farmers to identify specific crop needs for irrigation, fertilization, and pest control, potentially boosting harvests.
The sensor system can quickly switch between edge detection and detailed infrared imaging without generating large data volumes or using bulky external processors. This development allows farmers to collect more information when the sensor identifies potential pest infestations.
The research, conducted by engineers from the City University of New York (CUNY), the University of Melbourne, RMIT University, and the ARC Centre of Excellence for Transformative Meta-Optical Systems (TMOS), is published in Nature Communications.
How does the sensor system work?
The prototype sensor system includes a filter made of vanadium dioxide, which can switch between edge detection and detailed infrared imaging. TMOS Chief Investigator Professor Madhu Bhaskaran and her team at RMIT engineered the system.
"Materials such as vanadium dioxide add a fantastic tuning capability to render devices 'smart', she said. "When the temperature of the filter changes, the vanadium dioxide transforms from an insulating state to a metallic one, shifting the processed image from a filtered outline to an unfiltered infrared image.
"These materials could go a long way in futuristic flat-optics devices that can replace traditional lenses for environmental sensing applications, making them ideal for use in drones and satellites, added Bhaskaran.
RMIT holds a granted US patent and a pending Australian patent application for producing vanadium dioxide films, suitable for various applications.
Lead author Dr. Michele Cotrufo highlighted the system's significant ability to switch between processing operations. "While recent demonstrations have achieved analog edge detection using metasurfaces, most devices are static and cannot be dynamically altered or controlled, said Cotrufo, who conducted his research at CUNY. "The ability to dynamically reconfigure processing operations is key for metasurfaces to compete with digital image processing systems. This is what we have developed.
Next steps
Co-author Shaban Sulejman from the University of Melbourne stated that the filter's design and materials make it suitable for mass manufacturing. "It also operates at temperatures compatible with standard manufacturing techniques, facilitating rapid integration with commercially available systems, Sulejman said.
TMOS Chief Investigator Ann Roberts from the University of Melbourne noted that flat optics technologies could transform numerous industries. "Traditional optical elements have long been the bottleneck preventing the further miniaturization of devices. Replacing or complementing traditional optical elements with thin-film optics breaks through that bottleneck.
Research Report:Reconfigurable image processing metasurfaces with phase-change materials
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