🎓Intelligent lighting concepts to improve the reliability and range of 3D runtime cameras

Time-of-flight (ToF) technology enables precise distance measurement by detecting the transit time of light signals. This capability makes ToF camera systems a key component in numerous fields of application, from robotics and autonomous navigation to industrial automation and human-machine interaction. Their versatility and ability to provide depth information in real time are constantly opening up new applications. This work pursues a novel approach to improve the range and reliability of measurement. Through dynamic adaptation of the illumination using malleable beam profiles and optimised sensor control, the light distribution is to be ideally adapted to the scene. A hardware platform with multiple light sources that can be operated simultaneously or alternatively and integrated beam shapers is being designed. The goal is to develop a ToF camera with extended range and improved spatial and temporal resolution that enables reliable measurements even in dynamic environments. A validation sample is being built and comprehensively characterised.