Mapping a central visual field onto a peripheral visual sensor

An optical apparatus comprising a set of one or more peripheral optical elements arranged so as to direct, onto a peripheral sensor portion of a visual sensor via a set of one or more central optical elements of the visual sensor, at least a portion of light emanating from a central field portion of a visual field so as to map at least a partial image of the central field portion onto the peripheral sensor portion for detection by the visual sensor, wherein the one or more central optical elements are arranged so as to define the central field portion and to form, from at least a portion of light emanating from the central field portion that would be directly incident on the one or more central optical elements, at least a partial image of the central field portion on a corresponding central sensor portion of the visual sensor that is distinct from the peripheral sensor portion,

• wherein:
• (a) the set of one or more peripheral optical elements is arranged so as to define an image-mapping center point and so that the mapped at least partial image of the central field portion is mapped onto the peripheral sensor portion according to a non-inverted outward radial displacement relative to the center point, wherein a corresponding portion of the light emanating from each mapped segment of the central field portion is directed by one or more of the peripheral optical elements onto a corresponding segment of the peripheral sensor portion that is displaced, radially outward away from the center point, relative to a corresponding segment of the central sensor portion where that mapped central field portion would be imaged;
• (b) the set of one or more peripheral optical elements is arranged so as to define an image-mapping center point and so that the mapped at least partial image of the central field portion is mapped onto the peripheral sensor portion according to an inverted outward radial displacement relative to the center point, wherein a corresponding portion of the light emanating from each mapped segment of the central field portion is directed by one or more of the peripheral optical elements onto a corresponding segment of the peripheral sensor portion that is displaced, radially outward across the center point, relative to a corresponding segment of the central sensor portion where that mapped central field portion would be imaged;
• or
• (c) the set of one or more peripheral optical elements includes one or more of a frusto-conical reflector or refractor, a set of multiple nested frusto-conical reflector or refractor segments, a frusto-pyramidal reflector or refractor, or a set of nested frusto-pyramidal reflectors or refractors.