MOEMS-based time-of-flight camera for 3D video capturing

Abstract

We suggest a Time-of-Flight (TOF) video camera capturing real-time depth images (a.k.a depth map), which are generated from the fast-modulated IR images utilizing a novel MOEMS modulator having switching speed of 20 MHz. In general, 3 or 4 independent IR (e.g. 850nm) images are required to generate a single frame of depth image. Captured video image of a moving object frequently shows motion drag between sequentially captured IR images, which results in so called ‘motion blur’ problem even when the frame rate of depth image is fast (e.g. 30 to 60 Hz). We propose a novel ‘single shot’ TOF 3D camera architecture generating a single depth image out of synchronized captured IR images. The imaging system constitutes of 2x2 imaging lens array, MOEMS optical shutters (modulator) placed on each lens aperture and a standard CMOS image sensor. The IR light reflected from object is modulated by optical shutters on the apertures of 2x2 lens array and then transmitted images are captured on the image sensor resulting in 2x2 sub-IR images. As a result, the depth image is generated with those simultaneously captured 4 independent sub-IR images, hence the motion blur problem is canceled. The resulting performance is very useful in the applications of 3D camera to a human-machine interaction device such as user interface of TV, monitor, or hand held devices and motion capturing of human body. In addition, we show that the presented 3D camera can be modified to capture color together with depth image simultaneously on ‘single shot’ frame rate.