Even Closer to the Human Eye

Mechanisms of the Human Eye in Realizing High Resolution Images

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Mechanisms of the Human Eye in Realizing High Resolution Images

Photoreceptor cells of the human eye are comprised of rods which sense light and dark contrasts in the dark, and cones which sense light and dark contrasts in bright places. Among them, cones perform the function corresponding to resolution in digital cameras.

Cones can be divided into three types, namely S cones (short wave sensitive cone = short wavelength), M cones (middle wave sensitive cone = middle wavelength), and L cones (long wave sensitive cone = long wavelength). They react according to the strength of wavelengths and function similarly to the RGB pixels in digital cameras. Cones are packed at the center of the retina, numbering about 6.5 million per eye. It may be assumed that both eyes together possess information processing capability equivalent to about 13 million pixels. Although at the point when information is delivered from the eye to the brain through the optic nerves, they are converted to about 1.2 million pixels (strictly speaking, because of an overlap of information, it is equivalent to about 2 million pixels for both eyes) per eye, due to the integration of information processing within the retina.

1: Ganglion cell 2: Photoreceptor cell 3: Rod 4: Cone
EXR Photodiodes

Thus, speaking in terms of hardware with the capability to “obtain image information,” digital cameras, which can fully utilize all 1.2 million pixels (= “Fine Capture Technology”), can be considered to be superior to the human eye. However, the “brain,” where all information are gathered, makes the crucial difference. As an information processing engine, the brain is endowed with extraordinary performance that the digital camera cannot yet achieve.

Although the EXR is no match for the human eye, its flexibility can perform optimal processing such as prioritizing sharpness and depicting fine details of the subject in places with sufficient light. This technology was developed through the research of the human eye mechanism.

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