Cambridge Mechatronics Extends ToF Range by 5-10x

AF and OIS actuators company Cambridge Mechatronics Ltd. (CML) comes up with an interesting statement:

"CML has developed technology capable of extending the range of ToF depth sensing for next-generation AR experiences.

Because current technology can only detect objects at a maximum distance of around two metres, its usage in smartphones is limited to photographic enhancements and a small number of Augmented Reality (AR) applications. However, for widespread adoption, these experiences should be enriched by significantly increasing the working range.

CML has developed technology that is now ready to be licensed capable of increasing this range of interaction to ten metres to unlock the full potential of the smartphone AR market."

And another statement:

"Mobile AR uses sensors to create a depth map of the surrounding landscape in order to overlay images on top of the real world. Current 3D sensors have a limited range of interaction of around 4 metres. CML is developing SMA actuator technology to improve the range and accuracy of augmented experiences tenfold, providing a more immersive experience."