DepthVista combines RGB and 3D Time of Flight depth cameras

DepthVista combines RGB and 3D Time of Flight depth cameras

May 25, 2022 — by Giorgio Mendoza

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Last week, e-con Systems launched the DepthVista camera which contains both an RGB and a Time of Flight (ToF) depth camera with a range of up to six meters. According to the company, the DepthVista can measure the distance from itself to a target object with an accuracy of < 1% depending on environmental conditions.

The RGB camera integrated on the DepthVista is the AR0234CS CMOS digital image sensor (1/2.6-inch) from onsemi which is optimized for capturing high definition images for fast-moving objects. On the other hand, the 3D camera implemented seems to be the See3CAM_2TOF_5CUG from e-con itself. 

DepthVista front (left) and side (right)
(click images to enlarge)

Both RGB and ToF cameras are global shutter sensors and work synchronously for better performance. The datasheet specifies that the camera operates in the 850 nm NIR range, so interference from sunlight would be very high. The company suggests to use the DepthVista for indoor environments. The minimum working distance is 20 cm and the depth range could be improved further by changing the number of VCSEL LEDs and their intensity.

DepthVista block diagram (left)
(click image to enlarge)

Other features include an IMU (3-axis gyroscope, 3-axis accelerometer) to measure linear and angular motion and USB 3.2 Type C port for data transfer. The DepthVista camera ships with a 12V power adapter, a USB 3.2 Type-A to Type-C cable and a tripod.

DepthVista showing RGB-D stream
(click image to enlarge)

The company ensured to offer drivers for Windows 10 and Linux (Ubuntu 18.04). In addition, e-con provides a DepthVista SDK which is built on OpenCV 4.2.0 and source code for sample applications. The DepthVista is also enabled for video streaming through UVC 1.0 without additional driver installation.

Relevant specs listed for the DepthVista include:

• ToF Camera:
  • Depth Range – up to 6 meters
  • Optical Format – ¼” 
  • Resolution – 0.6MP
    • Depth (640 x 480) @30fps
    • IR (640 x 480) @30fps 
    • Depth + IR (640 x 960) @30fps 
  • Sensor Type – CCD sensor
  • Pixel Size – 5.6 µm x 5.6 µm
  • FOV – 99.75°(D), 84.29°(H), 64.14°(V)
  • Sensor Active Pixels – 640H x 480V
  • Format – Y-16 (Raw 12-bit)
• RGB Camera:
  • Optical Format – 1/2.6″
  • Resolution – 2MP
    • 2.3MP (1920 x 1200) @30fps
    • VGA (640 x 480) @60fps
    • HD (1280 x 720) @60fps
  • Sensor Type – CMOS Color Global shutter sensor
  • Pixel Size – 3 µm x 3 µm
  • FOV – 90.09°(D), 80.61°(H), 55.69°(V)
  • Sensor Active Pixels 1920H x 1200V
  • Auto Controls Auto Exposure and Auto White-balance controls 
• USB:
  • 1x USB 3.2 Type C
• Other Features:
  • 1x 6-axis Inertial Measurement unit (IMU)
  • 2x temperature sensors
• OS:
  • Linux (Ubuntu 18.04)
  • Windows 10
• Power:
  • 5V (via USB) & External supply 12V
  • 12W power consumption
• Dimensions:
  • 101.5 x 30.8 x 34.2mm

Further information

Launch price is $599 until June 3rd 2022 not including shipping costs. The standard price for the DepthVista will be $699 after the promotional date. The company also offers camera customizations that involve tuning, optics/lens change, sensor change, etc. Refer to their customer site for more info.