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).
Robots and devices need fast, inexpensive depth/distance sensing for navigation and interaction with the environment, without costly mechanical scanning.
