Depth Sensing Photonics for Mobile Handset, Automotive and other Consumer Applications

Machine learning and predictive algorithms are increasingly providing new opportunities for technology to directly participate in our interaction with the physical world around us. A crucial element of this interaction is the detailed digital characterization of that physical environment as an input to these algorithms. While digital visible light cameras have advanced dramatically for compact consumer applications, optical sensor systems able to add accurate depth measurements to 2D images within practical consumer environments are being developed to enable new and enhanced consumer applications. Primary examples of these sensor driven applications include biometric authentication on mobile phone handsets and secure access points as well as LIDAR scene mapping for autonomous vehicles and robotic machines. This presentation will provide an overview of the architectures of these 3D sensor systems, their underlying enabling photonic technologies, including advanced VCSEL devices and array formats, narrow linewidth semiconductor lasers, MEMS, and photonic sensors, and how such complex technological solutions are being brought to the consumer market.