After the camera modules that record photo and video, it’s tof sensors to change the life. From smartphones to cars, their ability to measure distance to objects could become essential.
How ToF sensor works, these cameras that see in 3D thanks to the speed of light.
As defined as it is,This CMOS image sensor has no idea of the distance of objects since it can only assess the amount of light and its color. If it manages to simulate pretty fuzzy backgrounds, it is thanks to the support of a companion module which takes place between the different “normal” camera modules.
Also equipped with optics, this module does integrate a sensor built by the CMOS process, but whose operation and missions are very different. This component is called “time of flight sensor” or ToF sensor in English (for Time of Flight). A sensor that doesn’t care whether an object is blue or red or even ambient light. He’s only interested in one thing: measuring distance.
Indeed, the complete device is composed of two elements: the time-of-flight sensor itself and a scene lighting system. Two components that work together.
Depending on the uses, formats and constraints, different types of light sources can be used – infrared (IR), laser or visible light – but the principle remains the same for all ToF sensors.
Depending on their dimensions, these sensors have a more or less wide operating distance, but generally those used in smartphones work from a few centimeters to 3 or 4m from the terminal.
The future of ToF is not going to stop with smartphones. It is already present in many devices such as drones and it will develop in all segments of the Tech industry, from VR headsets to screens, robots to buildings and to cars. On the one hand for its primary functions of measuring distance – and incidentally speed – and support for camera modules.