High-speed 3D sensing via hybrid-mode imaging and guided upsampling

Imaging systems with temporal resolution play a vital role in a diverse range of scientific, industrial, and consumer applications, e.g., fluorescent lifetime imaging in microscopy and time-of-flight (ToF) depth sensing in autonomous vehicles. In recent years, single-photon avalanche diode (SPAD) arrays with picosecond timing capabilities have emerged as a key technology driving these systems forward. Here we report a high-speed 3D imaging system enabled by a state-of-the-art SPAD sensor used in a hybrid imaging mode that can perform multi-event histogramming. The hybrid imaging modality alternates between photon counting and timing frames at rates exceeding 1000 frames per second, enabling guided upscaling of depth data from a native resolution of 64×32 to 256×128. The combination of hardware and processing allows us to demonstrate high-speed ToF 3D imaging in outdoor conditions and with low latency. The results indicate potential in a range of applications where real-time, high throughput data are necessary. One such example is improving the accuracy and speed of situational awareness in autonomous systems and robotics.