Caltech is working on a cheap smartphone chip that can make 3D images

Scientists at the California Institute of Caltech are working on a new chip for smartphone cameras. The most startling thing about the chip is that it must be able to estimate length, width and depth. The information can then be used by 3d printers.

The new chip is called a nanophotonic coherent imager. To obtain a 3d image, a laser beam is shone on the object to be captured; a technology called Lidar. Then the reflected light is measured. Conventional chips only measure the light intensity per pixel, but the nci chip also adds a so-called interferometer. For example, the distance to the light source is determined per pixel, so that depth information becomes available. The technology works by analyzing the coherence of incoming light beams: this allows the distance to be measured.

According to the inventors, who are affiliated with the Caltech Institute in California, the nci chip is based on silicon and is cheap to produce. In addition, the chips can be made small enough to be built into smartphones. This makes it possible, for example, to make smartphone cameras that allow users to create 3D images of the environment. These images can be used, for example, for 3D prints, in order to turn them into tangible objects. For now, the scientists only have a prototype camera of 16 pixels. However, it would be easy to increase the resolution, according to the makers.

In addition to applications in smartphones, a number of other possibilities can be envisaged. For example, the cameras based on nci could be used in self-driving cars. Analyzing the environment can, among other things, ensure that the car keeps sufficient distance from other road users. There are also medical applications: small deviations in, for example, the heart rhythm could easily be detected with the camera.

Caltech isn’t alone in focusing on chips that can shoot 3D images. Google previously came up with Project Tango. In this project, Google is developing hardware that can create a 3D image with multiple cameras and sensors. This is done in collaboration with Mantis Vision.

A 3d image of a Penny, or 1 dollar cent.