Time-of-flight (ToF) cameras have gained attention as the depth sensing method of choice for its smaller form factor, wide dynamic range of sensing, and its ability to operate in a variety of environments. Though ToF technology has been used for years in the scientific and military fields, it has become more prevalent starting in the early 2000s with advances in image sensing technology。
The addition of depth information to a 2D image allows useful information to be extracted and can greatly improve the quality of scene information. For example, 2D sensing cannot distinguish between a real person and a photograph. Extracting depth information allows better classification of people, tracking both their facial and body features. ToF depth sensing can provide high quality and reliable face recognition for security authentication. The higher the resolution and depth accuracy, the better the classification algorithm. This can be used for simple functions such as allowing access to mobile devices/our personal home space, or for high end use cases such as secure door access control in commercially sensitive areas.