Single-pixel 3D imaging with time-based depth resolution

TL;DR

This paper introduces a single-pixel 3D imaging system that uses time-of-flight measurements with pulsed illumination and high-speed detection to achieve high-resolution, real-time 3D video at a low cost and beyond visible wavelengths.

Contribution

A modified single-pixel camera with pulsed illumination and high-speed photodiode enabling 3D scene reconstruction with high accuracy and real-time video capabilities.

Findings

Reconstructed 128x128 pixel 3D scenes with ~3 mm accuracy at 5 m range.

Achieved real-time 3D video at up to 12 Hz frame rate.

System hardware is simple and potentially low-cost for various wavelengths.

Abstract

Time-of-flight three dimensional imaging is an important tool for many applications, such as object recognition and remote sensing. Unlike conventional imaging approach using pixelated detector array, single-pixel imaging based on projected patterns, such as Hadamard patterns, utilises an alternative strategy to acquire information with sampling basis. Here we show a modified single-pixel camera using a pulsed illumination source and a high-speed photodiode, capable of reconstructing 128x128 pixel resolution 3D scenes to an accuracy of ~3 mm at a range of ~5 m. Furthermore, we demonstrate continuous real-time 3D video with a frame-rate up to 12 Hz. The simplicity of the system hardware could enable low-cost 3D imaging devices for precision ranging at wavelengths beyond the visible spectrum.