# Quantitative evaluation of brain-inspired vision sensors in high-speed robotic perception

arXiv: https://arxiv.org/abs/2504.19253 · HTML: https://mlsanity.com/paper/2504.19253/

## Key facts

- No citing papers in the map yet (data through 14 Oct 2026).
- Builds on 13 of its 33 references that are in the map.
- First posted on arXiv 27 Apr 2025.

## Builds on (most cited first, 13 of 13)

- [Event-based Vision: A Survey](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1904.08405/) (2019)
- [High Speed and High Dynamic Range Video with an Event Camera](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1906.07165/) (2019)
- [EV-FlowNet: Self-Supervised Optical Flow Estimation for Event-based Cameras](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1802.06898/) (2018)
- [A Unifying Contrast Maximization Framework for Event Cameras, with Applications to Motion, Depth, and Optical Flow Estimation](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1804.01306/) (2018)
- [TimeLens: Event-based Video Frame Interpolation](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2106.07286/) (2021)
- [Asynchronous, Photometric Feature Tracking using Events and Frames](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1807.09713/) (2018)
- [Event Stream-based Visual Object Tracking: A High-Resolution Benchmark Dataset and A Novel Baseline](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2309.14611/) (2023)
- [E-MLB: Multilevel Benchmark for Event-Based Camera Denoising](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2303.11997/) (2023)
- [EVREAL: Towards a Comprehensive Benchmark and Analysis Suite for Event-based Video Reconstruction](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2305.00434/) (2023)
- [EventAid: Benchmarking Event-aided Image/Video Enhancement Algorithms with Real-captured Hybrid Dataset](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2312.08220/) (2023)
- [Are High-Resolution Event Cameras Really Needed?](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2203.14672/) (2022)
- [Microsaccade-inspired Event Camera for Robotics](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2405.17769/) (2024)
- [Deblur e-NeRF: NeRF from Motion-Blurred Events under High-speed or Low-light Conditions](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2409.17988/) (2024)

## Abstract (arXiv)

Perception systems in robotics encounter significant challenges in high-speed and dynamic conditions when relying on traditional cameras, where motion blur can compromise spatial feature integrity and task performance. Brain-inspired vision sensors (BVS) have recently gained attention as an alternative, offering high temporal resolution with reduced bandwidth and power requirements. Here, we present the first quantitative evaluation framework for two representative classes of BVSs in variable-speed robotic sensing, including event-based vision sensors (EVS) that detect asynchronous temporal contrasts, and the primitive-based sensor Tianmouc that employs a complementary mechanism to encode both spatiotemporal changes and intensity. A unified testing protocol is established, including crosssensor calibrations, standardized testing platforms, and quality metrics to address differences in data modality. From an imaging standpoint, we evaluate the effects of sensor non-idealities, such as motion-induced distortion, on the capture of structural information. For functional benchmarking, we examine task performance in corner detection and motion estimation under different rotational speeds. Results indicate that EVS performs well in highspeed, sparse scenarios and in modestly fast, complex scenes, but exhibits performance limitations in high-speed, cluttered settings due to pixel-level bandwidth variations and event rate saturation. In comparison, Tianmouc demonstrates consistent performance across sparse and complex scenarios at various speeds, supported by its global, precise, high-speed spatiotemporal gradient samplings. These findings offer valuable insights into the applicationdependent suitability of BVS technologies and support further advancement in this area.