Dieptecameras

Dieptecameras are depth sensing devices that measure the distance from the camera to points in a scene, producing depth maps or 3D point clouds. In many implementations, depth information can be captured alongside a color image, enabling perception that goes beyond conventional 2D photography. The term is commonly used in Dutch-language contexts, where dieptecameras may also be referred to as dieptecamera's.

Dieptecameras employ several core technologies. Time-of-flight (ToF) sensors emit light and measure the return time to determine distance, offering fast depth acquisition at moderate resolutions. Structured light cameras project a known infrared pattern and compute depth from pattern deformations. Stereo depth cameras use two or more optical views to infer depth from disparities between images. Passive stereo relies on natural texture, while active methods use illumination to improve performance in low-light conditions. Each technology has trade-offs in range, accuracy, ambient light sensitivity, and computational demand.

Typical outputs from dieptecameras include a depth map, often aligned to an RGB image, and sometimes a 3D point cloud or mesh. Proper calibration of intrinsic and extrinsic parameters is required to fuse depth with color data and to integrate depth streams into larger systems such as SLAM, 3D reconstruction, or robotic perception.

Applications are broad and include consumer electronics (AR/VR, smartphones), robotics and automation, industrial inspection, 3D scanning and modeling, gesture recognition, and medical imaging. Notable providers and ecosystems include Intel RealSense, Microsoft Azure Kinect, and LiDAR-equipped devices from smartphone makers, as well as standalone depth cameras from various vendors. Dieptecameras continue to evolve with higher resolution, wider dynamic range, and improved algorithms for processing and fusion.