Measuring compound eye optics with microscope and microCT images.

Area of Science:

• * Entomology and visual neuroscience.
• * Bio-inspired engineering and optical systems.

Background:

• * Compound eyes, common in insects, offer insights into visual ecology, evolution, and engineering.
• * Their optical properties (resolution, sensitivity, field of view) are often externally visible but require internal analysis for non-spherical eyes.
• * Current methods for characterizing compound eye optics are inefficient and lack automation.

Purpose of the Study:

• * To introduce novel, open-source software for automated characterization of compound eye optics.
• * To enable efficient analysis of both 2D and 3D imaging data of compound eyes.
• * To provide a tool for researchers in visual ecology, evolution, and bio-inspired engineering.

Main Methods:

• * Development of the ommatidia detecting algorithm (ODA) for measuring ommatidia count and diameter in 2D images.
• * Creation of a MicroCT (µCT) pipeline (ODA-3D) that applies ODA to 3D data for comprehensive optical analysis.
• * Validation of the algorithms using images and µCT scans of various insect eyes (ants, fruit flies, moths, bees).

Main Results:

• * The ODA and ODA-3D pipeline provide automated and efficient methods for analyzing compound eye morphology and optics.
• * The software successfully quantifies key optical parameters like anatomical acuity, sensitivity, and field of view.
• * Validated results across diverse insect species demonstrate the tool's versatility and accuracy.

Conclusions:

• * The developed open-source software addresses the need for efficient, automated tools in compound eye research.
• * These tools facilitate deeper understanding of visual ecology, evolutionary adaptations, and novel engineering applications.
• * The ODA and ODA-3D pipeline are valuable resources for the scientific community studying visual systems.