For wide range of applications including food serving robots, robot vacuums, and smart glasses

Tokyo – TOPPAN Holdings Inc. (TOPPAN Holdings) developed its first-generation 3D ToF (Time of flight) sensor1 for robotics in 2023, using hybrid ToF™2 technology to enable long-range measurement, tolerance to outdoor environments, high-speed sensing, and simultaneous use of multiple devices.

TOPPAN Holdings has now further enhanced the first-generation’s high-speed imaging and high-precision range measurement to develop a new model of the 3D ToF sensor with a more compact form factor and lower power consumption. This will contribute to higher 3D sensing accuracy for robotics and spatial mapping, expanding the range of potential applications. Samples of the new sensor will be available from May 2025, with the launch of mass production scheduled for October.

The new 3D ToF sensor will be on display in the TOPPAN Group booth (booth 47) at the International Technical Exhibition on Image Technology and Equipment 2024, which will be held at the Pacifico Yokohama in Yokohama, Japan, from December 4 to 6 this year. Under the concept of being Japan’s largest and most cutting-edge event for the machine vision business, the International Technical Exhibition on Image Technology and Equipment brings together leading-edge imaging technologies from all over the world, with a focus on the machine vision and robot vision sectors. The TOPPAN Group will showcase its offerings in the Robotics Technology Zone, a special exhibition booth for robot-related products and services.

Background and overview

3D ToF sensors are now used for a variety of applications. They are used to detect obstacles and steps in the areas of robotics and micromobility (one or two person vehicles for mobility over relatively short distances that are smaller, more maneuverable, and offer better environmental performance than conventional cars), while in the field of gaming, they are used to pinpoint the user’s position and map the surrounding environment by measuring the distance between the user and objects. Many of the products used in these cases are compact, high-performance, and battery-powered, and the 3D sensors mounted in them increasingly need to not only deliver high-precision range measurement, but also to have a compact form factor, low latency, and low power consumption.

In 2023, TOPPAN Holdings developed its first-generation sensor for robotics, harnessing hybrid ToF™ technology to achieve superior performance in long-range measurement, tolerance to outdoor environments, high-speed sensing, and simultaneous use of multiple devices.

(Related press release: Toppan and Brookman Technology’s Next-Generation Time-of-Flight Sensor Is World’s First Capable of Measuring Distances of up to 30 Meters: https://www.holdings.toppan.com/en/news/2022/06/newsrelease220616.html)

TOPPAN Holdings has now developed a 3D ToF sensor that can be mounted on compact robots and smart glasses. In addition to the four main features of the first-generation, the new sensor is equipped with HDR3 and pixel binning4 functions, enabling range measurement with higher precision and optimized data transfer. It also has a “deep power down mode” that reduces power consumption, and the sensor chip has been miniaturized by optimizing the circuit design. These features make it ideal as a 3D ToF sensor for cameras mounted in devices such as small food serving robots, robot vacuums, and battery-powered smart glasses.

Features

Higher precision for distance measurement

The TOPPAN Group’s proprietary hybrid ToF™ technology has been harnessed to achieve high-speed sensing of up to 120 fps, suppression of ambient light noise in real time, and minimal motion artifacts5. HDR and pixel binning functions have also been added to the sensor. The HDR function makes it possible to capture both low-reflectance and high-reflectance objects simultaneously, something that has previously been a weakness of the ToF method. The 4x4 pixel binning function, meanwhile, enables an SN ratio6 four times greater than the first-generation sensor by treating six pixels as one pixel. These functions enable reduction in range noise and more accurate sensing.

In addition, a function for clipping the targeted image field makes it possible to reduce data throughput and accelerate data transfer, thus lightening the processing load for user systems.

Low power consumption

A standby power of 5 mW or less has been achieved by equipping the sensor with a deep power down mode for reduced power consumption. It can potentially be incorporated into a variety of products as a 3D ToF sensor that supports energy efficiency and usage over long periods for compact battery-powered devices, such as robot vacuums, VR/AR devices, and drones.

Compact form factor

The sensor design has been optimized, reducing the number of I/O pins to enable a sensor that is approximately 20% smaller than the previous model. This enhances flexibility for the hardware design of peripheral devices and makes significant reductions in cost possible.

The features of the new sensor enable it to capture objects accurately, making it ideal for facilitating safe operation in the rapidly growing market of micromobility, robotics, and gaming, particularly for mobility scooters, robot vacuums, and smart glasses.

Future activities

TOPPAN Holdings is planning to make samples of the new sensor available from May and launch mass production in October 2025.

About the International Technical Exhibition on Image Technology and Equipment

Dates: December 4-6, 2024
Venue: Pacifico Yokohama, Hall D
Organizer: Advanced Communication Media Co., Ltd.
Booth number: 47
Official website: https://www.adcom-media.co.jp/iteeng/ 

1. hybrid ToF™: Refers to a technology that fuses the short pulse ToF method with sensor control using the multi-time window technique, as well as 3D ToF sensors and cameras equipped with the technology. The strengths of the technology are its outstanding ambient light tolerance and reduction of blurring, meaning it can be used in outdoor environments without being affected by sunlight and can capture fast-moving objects accurately.
https://www.holdings.toppan.com/en/news/2022/06/newsrelease220616.html 
2. 3D ToF sensor: A range image sensor that uses infrared light to measure the three-dimensional distance from a camera to an object.
3. HDR function: HDR is an acronym of high dynamic range, an imaging technology for capturing multiple range data with different exposure times in a single range image.
4. Pixel binning function: A function for combining the data from multiple pixels and treating them as a single large pixel.
5. Motion artifact: A data error that occurs unintentionally during signal and image processing when moving objects are captured.
6. SN ratio: Signal-to-noise ratio. The larger the value, the higher the performance.