3D ranging with a high speed imaging array

We present an innovative system for 3D image acquisition using a general purpose CMOS SPAD sensor for bidimensional imaging developed in our laboratory. The system reads the phase shift of a modulated light wave for each pixel with a high frame rate and return to a PC the 3D scan of the scene captured, allowing the implementation of advanced anti-collision techniques. The prototype presented in this paper acquires scenes in three dimensions with a spatial resolution of 10 cm with a frame-rate of 50 fps and a maximum distance of 7.5 m. Such a system is ideal for ambient acquisition in robotics application. The sensor used is a standard 0.35 μm CMOS 32 × 32 smart pixel array in which sensible elements are Single Photon Avalanche Diodes (SPADs).