On the theory of bias tuning in event cameras

Abstract

This paper lays the foundation for a theory of bias tuning in neuromorphic cameras, a novel sensing technology also known as “event cameras”. We begin by formulating the high-level effect of the sensitivity biases on the camera’s event rate in mathematical terms. We then show that, as a corollary of the Poincaré–Miranda theorem, the commonly used tuning principles of rate budgeting and polarity balancing lead to a unique configuration of the sensitivity biases. As a corollary, we show how by adopting these principles, the multi-variable bias-tuning problem reduces to a two-parameter problem that can be resolved experimentally.