Elmos Unveils Automotive ToF Sensor

Pressebox: Elmos presents an E527.31 3D ToF imager for applications in the vehicle interior and exterior. The new 3D imager is certified according to the automotive standard AEC-Q 100 and is characterized by its optimized power consumption: In addition to the normal operating mode, it also has a sleep mode in which power consumption is reduced to an absolute minimum.

The E527.31 3D imager is designed for HMI use making possible object detection in the near field of the vehicle as well as gesture detection in the exterior or interior.

Typical applications in the interior of vehicles are the gesture-controlled infotainment system or the monitoring of the number of people in the car. Outside, automatic tailgates and doors controlled by gestures are possible areas of application. If the imager is integrated into the B-pillar, collisions with moving and static obstacles such as bicyclists, curbs or marking posts can also be prevented. The precise detection of steps or objects and the generation of a realistic 3D image of the environment also allow the use in self-propelled robots.

The E527.31 has 32x32 active pixels and is built into a standard QFN44L7 package. It is supplied with an optical bandpass filter for 850 nm. Customer specific adjustments of the optical filter in the range of 850 nm to 940 nm are possible. The device controls the light source to be used (LED, VCSEL, laser) to optimize the light pulses and thus the object illumination for the application. An integrated temperature sensor enables precise compensation to prevent distance shift due to temperature changes. The distance information is read from the digital data supplied by the sensor by using an external controller with implemented software algorithms. The 3D ToF Imager provides perfect operation in all lighting conditions and in difficult weather conditions.