Bio‐inspired vision: From principle, material architectures to system‐level integration

Abstract Biological visual systems, distinguished by their high‐efficiency perception, in situ information processing, and low‐redundancy encoding, provide an important conceptual foundation for the development of bio‐inspired visual systems. This review discusses the operating principles and introduces two types of carrier‐based systems: charge transport‐based electronic devices and ion transport‐based ionic devices. From the perspectives of intrinsic material dimensionality and device architecture, the review analyzes the influence on key attributes of bio‐inspired vision, including sensitivity, mechanical flexibility, integration density, and information‐processing capability. Furthermore, it explores the evolution of bio‐inspired vision from discrete sensing units to intelligent integrated systems, with an emphasis on device integration, multimodule cooperation, and the synergy between hardware and software algorithms. Finally, the review outlines future directions in this field and provides theoretical insights as well as design guidance for the development of next‐generation intelligent visual systems that are efficient, flexible, low‐power, and endowed with cognitive functionality.