Sydney

What can humans learn from dragonflies?

Australian researchers have developed an artificial-intelligence system based on a dragonfly’s vision that they say could help improve the eyesight of people who can see almost nothing. The system also is expected to find applications in automated technologies that rely on artificial sight, such as robots and driverless cars.

In the latest research, published in the Journal of the Royal Society Interface, scientists showed how a computer program can mimic the eyesight of a dragonfly.

Compared with humans, dragonflies have a limited ability to distinguish details and shapes of objects. But they are one of the insect kingdom’s best predators because their wide field of vision and ability to detect fast movements allow them to keep track of prey even among a swarm of insects.