What Is a Time of Flight (ToF) Sensor?
Hence the name, Time of Flight.
That said,ToF sensors and LiDAR do have their differences.
Image Credit: gpointstudio/Shutterstock
Using reflected light (or sound) to measure distance isn’t a new idea either.
A ToF sensor’s advantages include precise and fast measurements, a longer range, and safety of use.
Compared to other 3D-depth measurement technologies, ToF sensors are relatively cheap to produce and use.
Image Credit:Adafruit
Other popular ToF sensor manufacturers include TeraRanger One, Lucid, Adafruit, and ASC TigerCub.
How Does a Time of Flight (ToF) Sensor Work?
As mentioned before, ToF sensors use infrared light to measure an object’s distance from the sensor.
A tiny infrared laser shoots light, which bounces off of an object and returns to the sensor.
This can be used to create 3D maps of the sensor’s surroundings.
Where Are ToF Sensors Used?
These photos aim to create a shallow depth of field to replicate a camera lens.
This is essentially howface unlocking technology works, including Apple’s Face ID.
This ability to differentiate between the subject and the background is also often applied to 3D printing.
