이와 같은 인피니언의 기술로 한층 더 업그레이드된 ToF 시스템을 알아보기 위해 본지는 인피니언과 '현실 공간의 디지털화를 구현하는 Time-of-Flight 기술 및 인피니언 Indirect ToF 시스템 소개'를 주제로 9월26일 웨비나를 진행한다
“Infineon Hybrid ToF System, Complements Shortcomings of General Indirect ToF and Maximizes Advantages”
Simultaneous operation of ToF sensor, near-distance light source, and far-distance light source…simultaneous implementation of robot mapping and obstacle detection functions
Webinar on Infineon Indirect ToF System to be Held on September 26… Principles, Specifications, etc. to be Shared
[Editor's Note] ToF (Time-of-Flight) technology uses light to measure the distance to an object, and has various applications such as object recognition, gesture control, environmental detection and measurement, and has recently been receiving a lot of attention in the sensor field. In particular, there is a clear increase in demand in the fields of smartphones and IoT devices, as well as AR/VR, automobiles, and drones. Infineon's Hybrid ToF system developed with Infineon's Indirect ToF compensates for the shortcoming of short measurement distance compared to the general direct method, while maintaining the advantage of high resolution. In order to learn more about the ToF system that has been further upgraded with Infineon's technology, our magazine will be holding a webinar with Infineon on September 26th with the topic of 'Introducing Time-of-Flight Technology and Infineon's Indirect ToF System that Implements Digitalization of Real Space'. Before the webinar, we heard from Manager Kang Sang-won, who will be speaking.
▲Kang Sang-won, Manager of Power & Sensor Systems Business Unit, Infineon Korea
■ Please explain ToF technology and its usability in typical demand situations.
ToF is a technology that measures the distance to an object by measuring the time it takes for a signal from a transmitter to return to the receiver after hitting the object, i.e. the time of flight. The most common and developed method is the 3D depth camera method that transmits an IR laser and receives it through a camera.
ToF has been used for gesture control and has been applied to many AR/VR technologies for people, but recently, with the rapid expansion of the robot market due to the advancement of AI technology, it is being adopted as the most efficient sensor solution for object recognition and spatial mapping as a representative sensor responsible for the 'vision' of robots.
In addition, it is widely used in automobile interior driver and passenger monitoring systems and to enhance the security level of facial recognition technology.
■ What is the difference between Direct ToF and Indirect ToF systems?
ToF technology is a Direct method that calculates distance by directly measuring the time difference between the signal from the transmitter hitting an object and returning to the receiver, and an I method that converts the phase difference between the transmitted and received signals into distance.There is an ndirect method.
Direct-type 3D Depth cameras have the advantage of being able to measure longer distances.
On the other hand, because multiple SPADs (Single Photon Avalanche Diodes) must be used for each pixel of the Imager to measure the time of return of light, the Imager is expensive and the pixel size is large, so the camera resolution is low.
The indirect 3D depth camera stores the received signal by dividing it into two storage spaces for each pixel of the imager, when the transmitter is on and when it is off, and converts it into a distance by calculating the phase difference with the transmitter using the difference in the amount of charge stored in the two spaces.
There is a disadvantage in that the measurement distance is shorter than that of the direct method because the difference in the amount of charge stored in the two spaces is reduced at a long distance, but there is no need for a separate optical element such as SPAD, so the price of the imager is low, and the pixel size can be reduced, so the resolution of the camera is much higher.
■ I am curious about the features and strengths of Infineon’s Indirect ToF solution.
The Hybrid ToF system developed with Infineon's Indirect ToF compensates for the short measurement distance of the general Indirect ToF compared to the Direct method, while maintaining the advantage of high resolution.
This 3D depth camera solution is equipped with an Infineon ToF sensor and operates simultaneously with a flood light source for close range and a spot light source for long range, making it highly efficient in both price and performance.
These strengths allow the robot to simultaneously achieve mapping and obstacle detection capabilities.It can be seen.
■ What is the main content of this webinar?
Through this webinar, we will share the basic principles of how ToF technology works, as well as the differences and pros and cons between Direct and Indirect methods, and help you understand the structure of the 3D Depth Camera and the Hybrid ToF System implemented with Infineon's Indirect ToF solution.
We will also introduce real-world market applications of ToF applications and the specifications of Infineon ToF Imagers and related products.
■ A word to e4ds readers
ToF is a sensor similar to human 'sight', and is a key device for the digitalization of space for both humans and robots.
The entire process, from how the sensor works to the results the system produces, is interesting, so I hope that this will be an opportunity for you to become more familiar with ToF technology and use it effectively.