Development of a real-time 3D camera based on micro-electromechanical systems mirrors

In this study, we describe the realization of a time-of-flight scanning LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) prototype, that leverages mirrors as micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) for agile beam steering in a compact size, and a field-programmable gate array (FPGA)-based processing unit for real-time 3D image reconstruction. The proposed 3D LiDAR system is designed to operate within a range of up to 1 meter with a spatial resolution of 400 × 300 pixels at a frame rate of 30 Hz. The LiDAR prototype architecture consists of 3 main parts: an optomechanical system, a digital processing unit (FPGA-based), an analog front-end. Processed 3D depth maps are rendered in real time via a high-definition multimedia interface (HDMI), providing immediate visual feedback. The full system was deeply characterized and tested. The integration of MEMS mirrors, an FPGA-based time-to-digital converter, and an optimized analog front-end resulted in a highly efficient, compact, and real-time depth sensing platform, ready for a final engineering step. The results obtained represent a feasibility study for a potential commercial product, that is low-cost and small-size, with different consumer applications.