ST @ MWC: VD55H1 0 5Mpix iToF sensor dot illumination reference
Channel: STMicroelectronics
Date: 2023-02-28

Find out more information: http://st.com/VD55H1

*video transcript*

'Welcome to the Imaging pod! 

I’m gonna introduce you to our new consumer LiDAR, using dot-pattern illumination. The reference design is based on our 0.5Mpixel iToF camera sensor, a 1.4kdot projector and a metasurface optical element.  

You are maybe wondering what happens when we replace a standard diffuser with a metasurface optical element, or MOE. Let me explain!  

 It is quite simple: the light produced by the VCSEL, is focused into discrete beams, illuminating the scene with a dot pattern. That’s why we call it “dot illumination”. 

The beams then hit the targets in the scene, and return to the iToF sensor with the same dot pattern. 

Let’s check out our demo! 

This is a standard mobile-phone application-processor, and all the software components are embedded into it.  

We provide a raw data postprocessing pipe, running on the GPU, and a driver, to control the device. 

As you can see in the screen, it is easy to identify myself, the filming crew saying hello, and the columns on their back, which are 5 meters away from the sensor!  

There are so many advantages to this product!  

We know our customers would love a long-range 3D map. The dot illumination enables us to range up to 10m indoors with no increase in power consumption.  

So what happens outdoors? That’s the second advantage of dot illumination: robustness to ambient light. 5 meters ranging is guaranteed, even in the brightest sunlight. 

And finally, the meta-surface optical element provides additional functionality, and can even replace complex and multi-element lenses. AND we manufacture it with our standard production process, which naturally brings performance, size, and cost advantages.  

So – I’ve showed you the world’s first integrated dot LiDAR, equipped with a metasurface optical element; perfect for the consumer market. The 1400 dots allow longer ranging in ambient light, and it consumes less power and makes the whole system cheaper.  

If you are interested in this product, check it out on st.com, or reach out to our closest sales office!'