🐞 An insect eye 📷 A multi-lens sensor

compound eye

7.2

A camera made of many tiny lenses to give a wide view and detect motion

noun
/ˈkɒmpaʊnd aɪ/

Specialized

: ojo compuesto

Researchers built a miniature compound eye camera using an array of microlenses and tiny photodiodes.

Examples

The conference featured several talks on how compound eyes improve motion detection in robotic vision systems.
Engineers fitted the surveillance drone with a compound eye sensor to widen its field of view.
The new compound eye technology allows for better motion detection.
Researchers are developing compound eyes for drones.
Engineers fitted the surveillance drone with a compound eye sensor to widen its field of view.
Researchers built a miniature compound eye camera using an array of microlenses and tiny photodiodes.
The conference featured several talks on how compound eyes improve motion detection in robotic vision systems.

Surface Forms

compound eye singular

compound eyes plural

Morphology

compound + eye

The sense of an 'eye' that is 'compound' (i.e. made of several parts or elements) is directly and predictably derived from combining 'compound' (composed of several parts) with 'eye' (a vision organ). This is a transparent noun–noun compound following normal English composition patterns, so a B1 learner who knows both words can infer it refers to an eye-like system made of multiple lenses/units.

Etymology

Compound eye in engineering is a camera or sensor that copies the insect eye by using many tiny lenses or sensors working together. Because these parts give a 'wide view' and better 'motion detection', engineers call such systems 'compound eyes'.