Time-of-Flight Sensors in Computer Graphics (State-of-the-art report)

Andreas Kolb, Eerhardt Barth, Reinhard Koch, Rasmus Larsen

AbstractA growing number of applications depend on accurate and fast 3D scene analysis. Examples are model and lightfield acquisition, collision prevention, mixed reality, and gesture recognition. The estimation of a range map by image analysis or laser scan techniques is still a time-consuming and expensive part of such systems. A lower-priced, fast and robust alternative for distance measurements are Time-of-Flight (ToF) cameras. Recently, significant improvements have been made in order to achieve low-cost and compact ToF-devices, that have the potential to revolutionize many fields of research, including Computer Graphics, Computer Vision and Man Machine Interaction (MMI). These technologies are starting to have an impact on research and commercial applications. The upcoming generation of ToF sensors, however, will be even more powerful and will have the potential to become "ubiquitous real-time geometry devices" for gaming, web-conferencing, and numerous other applications. This STAR gives an account of recent developments in ToF-technology and discusses the current state of the integration of this technology into various graphics-related applications.abstract = A growing number of applications depend on accurate and fast 3D scene analysis. Examples are model and lightfield acquisition, collision prevention, mixed reality, and gesture recognition. The estimation of a range map by image analysis or laser scan techniques is still a time-consuming and expensive part of such systems. A lower-priced, fast and robust alternative for distance measurements are Time-of-Flight (ToF) cameras. Recently, significant improvements have been made in order to achieve low-cost and compact ToF-devices, that have the potential to revolutionize many fields of research, including Computer Graphics, Computer Vision and Man Machine Interaction (MMI). These technologies are starting to have an impact on research and commercial applications. The upcoming generation of ToF sensors, however, will be even more powerful and will have the potential to become "ubiquitous real-time geometry devices" for gaming, web-conferencing, and numerous other applications. This STAR gives an account of recent developments in ToF-technology and discusses the current state of the integration of this technology into various graphics-related applications.
TypeConference paper [With referee]
ConferenceProceedings of Eurographics 2009 - State of the Art Reports
Year2009    pp. 119-134
PublisherThe Eurographics Association
Electronic version(s)[pdf]
BibTeX data [bibtex]
IMM Group(s)Image Analysis & Computer Graphics