An Event-Driven Retinomorphic Photodiode

Abstract

Compared with traditional frame-based machine vision sensors, event cameras are regarded as a promising direction for the next generation of visual systems, thanks to their low latency, minimal data redundancy, and high temporal responsiveness in dynamic vision sensing. However, current event cameras still face significant limitations in dynamic range, contrast sensitivity, and hardware complexity issues that prevent them from fully meeting the requirements of advanced machine vision scenarios like autonomous driving and Industry 4.0. In a recent breakthrough study, Lin et al. proposed an event-driven retinomorphic photodiode (RPD) inspired by the layered structure and signal processing mechanisms of the human retina. This RPD achieves a dynamic range exceeding 200 dB and high-sensitivity adaptive detection, breaking through the performance bottlenecks of existing sensors. This work not only provides a novel paradigm for retinomorphic sensor development but also demonstrates great potential for realizing high-precision, low-power vision perception under complex and dynamic lighting conditions.

Keywords

environment adaptability / event-driven / low power consumption / retinomorphic photodiode

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RIGHTS & PERMISSIONS

2026 The Author(s). SmartMat published by Tianjin University and John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.