Single-Photon Structured Light

TL;DR

This paper introduces a high-speed 3D scanning method using single-photon detectors and error correction, enabling effective imaging in low-light, fast-moving, and high ambient light conditions.

Contribution

It presents a novel single-photon structured light technique with error correction sequences for robust 3D imaging under challenging conditions.

Findings

Achieves high-frame-rate 3D imaging at 20 kHz.

Effective in low-light and high ambient illumination scenarios.

Capable of imaging fast-moving objects with low reflectivity.

Abstract

We present a novel structured light technique that uses Single Photon Avalanche Diode (SPAD) arrays to enable 3D scanning at high-frame rates and low-light levels. This technique, called "Single-Photon Structured Light", works by sensing binary images that indicates the presence or absence of photon arrivals during each exposure; the SPAD array is used in conjunction with a high-speed binary projector, with both devices operated at speeds as high as 20~kHz. The binary images that we acquire are heavily influenced by photon noise and are easily corrupted by ambient sources of light. To address this, we develop novel temporal sequences using error correction codes that are designed to be robust to short-range effects like projector and camera defocus as well as resolution mismatch between the two devices. Our lab prototype is capable of 3D imaging in challenging scenarios involving objects with extremely low albedo or undergoing fast motion, as well as scenes under strong ambient illumination.