Technology insights

Optical distance sensors: Principles & applications

Optical distance sensors are the culmination of decades of research and development (R&D) in the field of optoelectronics. This subset of photonics is concerned with the application of electronic devices that detect, emit, and modulate light to accomplish an extremely diverse range of functions. In the context of distance measurement: Light is used to measure the distance of a sensor to an obstacle or surface.
depth sensor

Optical Distance Sensors Explained

Many optoelectronics devices are concerned with the absorption/emission of sub-visible ionizing radiation (gamma, X-rays, etc.), but optical distance sensors typically exploit light in the visible and near-visible electromagnetic spectrum. Among the different principles of optical distance sensing, the most common use either a laser or a light-emitting diode (LED) to generate a modulated light beam whos detected reflection by an object is used for distance measurements. These modulated beams are used to calculate distance as a function of the Time-of-Flight (ToF) principle.
time-of-flight sensor

While the application principle of laser and LED-based optical distance sensors is similar, the underlying principles of action are fundamentally different.

The term LASER is an acronym for light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation, which defines the process where atoms in lasing materials (crystal, gas, semiconductor, etc.) are excited by an electrical current, or photons, causing them to emit coherent monochromatic light. When used in optical distance sensors, lasers typically provide high reading frequencies and long measuring ranges. However, this performance typically comes with the cost of larger form factors and heavyweight device profiles. Eye safety is also compromised in all but Class 1 laser products.

LEDs function due to the principle of electroluminescence, which refers to the emission of photons due to charge recombination across a P-N semiconductor junction. Modulating the bandgap enables LEDs to be manufactured with functionally monochromatic wavelengths across the ultraviolet, visible, and infrared spectrum. LEDs are more economical than lasers and can be more readily integrated into optical distance sensors with smaller form factors and lightweight devices.
time-of-flight distance sensor

Applications of Optical Distance Sensors

Both laser and LED ToF optical distance sensors need a direct line of sight to calculate the distance between a sensor and a measured surface (container level, obstacles, etc.). The spatial coherence of laser light provides superior optical properties (low divergence) when it comes to measuring specific points; ideal in long-distance range-finding applications. However, this narrow field of view (FoV) can be detrimental in more dynamic scenarios such as detecting hanging cables, tree branches for applications like indoor navigation and collision avoidance, digital stock monitoring, people counting and analysis, etc.

LEDs offer the widest range of key performance indicators (KPIs) when it comes to indoor distance measurement tasks and applications. They are eye-safe and have a light form factor, making them practical, easy-to-use sensing solutions. Terabee infrared LEDs (IR-LEDs) expand on this with superior refresh rates to alternative products, providing rapid distance information for in-line processing and analysis. This comes in tandem with extremely fast refresh rates, making IR-LED optical distance sensors ideal for fast-moving applications as varied as industrial automation and UAV navigation.

Optical Distance Sensors from Terabee

Terabee is one of the world’s leading proponents of optical distance sensors based on affordable, ultra-precision IR-LED sensors. All our Teraranger distance sensors exploit the ToF principle using IR-LEDs to gain rapid and reliable distance information with millimeter resolutions at high speeds.

If you would like any more information about our range of optical distance sensors, simply contact us using the link below.

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TeraRanger Evo 60m Evaluation Kit

TeraRanger Evo 60m ToF Evaluation Kit
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The kit includes the TeraRanger Evo 60m sensor - our flagship long-range Time-of-Flight range finder as well as two clip-on, interchangeable interface boards - USB Backboard and I2C/UART Backboard. With a 10% saving on individual product prices, the TeraRanger Evo 60m evaluation kit offers great value, making our technology even more accessible to R&D, education and developer communities.

TeraRanger Evo ToF Sensor Evaluation Kit

The modular, high-performance and easy-to-use Time-of-Flight sensing kit - Ideal for research and development purposes
from 270.00 ex. VAT
The kit is built on our modular Evo sensor family and includes 3 different Time-of-Flight sensor modules: TeraRanger Evo 60m (long-range), TeraRanger Evo 3m (short-range) and TeraRanger Evo 64px (8 x 8 depth resolution for movement detection).

The modular two-part design of Evo sensors allows quick testing and prototyping with a variety of interfaces including USB, UART, and I2C. Just clip-on your preferred interface backboard to any Evo sensor. No additional calibration is required as the sensors stream factory calibrated distance values in millimeters, out of the box.
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