Design and realization of retina-like three-dimensional imaging based on a MOEMS mirror

•A retina-like imaging method based on time-of flight (TOF) is proposed.•The mathematical models of 3D imaging based on MOEMS are developed.•The method has higher efficiency of utilizing pixels and compresses redundant data.•Retina-like scanning image has the properties of scaling and rotation invariance.

To balance conflicts for high-resolution, large-field-of-view and real-time imaging, a retina-like imaging method based on time-of flight (TOF) is proposed. Mathematical models of 3D imaging based on MOEMS are developed. Based on this method, we perform simulations of retina-like scanning properties, including compression of redundant information and rotation and scaling invariance. To validate the theory, we develop a prototype and conduct relevant experiments. The preliminary results agree well with the simulations.