ToF technology include an illuminating light source — normally laser diodes or LED-based structured light sources — and a ToF sensor. The light source sends out a pulse. Each pixel measures the time it takes for the light to return and determines distance to the object based on the length of the round-trip. A variant of ToF called indirect time of flight (iToF) offers a simpler, more cost-effective electronics design for the sensor, which measures phase changes instead of time. iToF distance accuracy declines the farther the distance to the object. While traditional ToF cameras can easily work out to 30 or 40 meters, iToF cameras typically are best suited for mid-range applications, in the 5- to 7-meter range, excellent for autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) and autonomous ground vehicles (AGVs) such as automated forklifts.
“Some applications, like advanced logistics, industrial safety, or mapping, are looking for higher-resolution sensors — current resolution in the market is typically VGA or lower,”“Other applications, such as industrial AGV, [intelligent transportation systems], and automotive, are looking for sensors able to capture fast-moving objects, therefore requiring no motion artifacts and often high frame rates. Furthermore, most of the previous applications (and others, like drones) are also looking for high dynamic range sensors to increase distance and/or the reflectivity range of the objects.”
DOMI most advanced ToF sensor is the DMOM2508CL, well above standard VGA resolution to minimize motion artifacts for moving objects. Because frame rates for 3D ToF applications can vary considerably based on application requirements, the DMOM2508CL, gives the user the flexibility to optimize key application parameters: resolution, distance range, precision, 3D frame rate and so on.