Real-Time Processing of 3D-TOF Data in Machine Vision Applications

In machine vision applications, Time-of-Flight (TOF) sensors like the Photonic Mixer Devices (PMD Technologies) became considerable alternatives to common 3D sensing devices. Because of the enormous progress in TOF-vision systems, nowadays 3D matrix cameras can be used for many applications such as robotic, automotive, industrial, medical and multimedia applications. The state of the art is to use a four-phase shift algorithm for TOF cameras to correctly determine the range value. Due to acquisition of the four subsequent phase images, fast object motion leads to distance uncertainties in situations where corresponding phase images do not properly align with respect to object points. In this book chapter we present a more efficient algorithm and evaluate its performance in comparison to the state-of-the-art algorithm.