Robotics
Time-of-Flight (ToF)
ActiveUpdated: 28 August 2026Published
Key
innovation
Distance measurement based on the round-trip travel time of light (or a signal) from an emitter to an object and back.
Category
Robotics
Abstraction level
Building block
Operation level
Architecture blockModel
Use cases
Depth perception and 3D mapping in robotsObstacle avoidance and navigationGesture and face recognitionSensors in mobile and humanoid robots (e.g. Microduck)
How it works
An emitter sends a light signal; a detector measures the phase shift or return time of the reflected light. Knowing the speed of light, the device computes distance per pixel to build a depth map. Variants include direct ToF (dToF, pulse timing) and indirect ToF (iToF, phase-shift measurement).
Problem solved
Robots and devices need fast, inexpensive depth/distance sensing for navigation and interaction with the environment, without costly mechanical scanning.