Methods and Apparatus for Three-Dimensional Imaging

Three-dimensional imaging technology has seen numerous advancements to meet the growing demand for more detailed, accurate, and lifelike images. These advancements improve the representation of spatial and depth information, crucial in fields such as virtual reality, medical imaging, and computer graphics. However, there remains a need for more precise methods of capturing complex and multidimensional environments by exploring overlapping scene portions. Current approaches often involve single-shot 3D imaging or time-of-flight methods, which struggle to provide detailed and accurate imaging while handling complex environments. These methods' inability to effectively capture overlapping scene portions may result in missing detail and depth inaccuracies. The inability to precisely measure distances between the scene and the sensor further intensifies the problem.

Technology Description

This method for creating 3D images involves estimating multiple 3D representations each corresponding to a different portion of the given scene. These scene portions at least partially overlap with each other for a comprehensive 3D reconstruction. Each 3D representation is generated by illuminating the respective scene portion with a series of light pulses, leading to the generation of multiple point clouds through photon detection via a focal plane array. These point clouds, showing distance between the array and multiple scene points, are processed to provide the estimated 3D representation. The approach stands out for its use of multiple 3D representations for individual overlapping scene portions. It enhances detail capture and image depth via several light bursts and photon detection, creating point clouds that represent distances from the scene to the focal plane array. The resultant 3D representations from these point clouds provide a highly detailed and accurate 3D imaging of a scene.