New Samsung sensor captures image, depth simultaneously

Via electronista

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Samsung has developed a new camera sensor technology that offers the ability to simultaneously capture image and depth. The breakthrough could potentially be applied to smartphones and other devices as an alternative method of control where hand gestures could be used to carry out functions without having to touch a screen or other input. According to Tech-On, it uses a CMOS sensor with red, blue and green pixels, combined with an additional z-pixel for capturing depth.

The new Samsung sensor can capture images at a resolution of 1,920x720 using its traditional RGB array, while it can also capture a depth image at a resolution of 480x360 with the z-pixel. It is able to achieve its depth capabilities by a special process whereby the z-pixel is located beneath the RGB pixel array. Samsung’s boffins then placed a special barrier between the RGB and z pixels allowing the light they capture to give the effect that the z-pixel is three times its actual size.

In this early iteration of the new technology, Samsung used FSI technology only. In future applications, BSI could be applied doubling the quantum efficiency of the design further reducing cross-talk to the RGB pixels.