Imaging Depth Sensors—Sensors, Algorithms and Applications

Dear Colleagues,

Range sensing witnessed tremendous improvements over the last decade. Three-dimensional vision systems, with radically improved characteristics, have emerged, based on classical approaches, such as stereo vision and structured light on the one hand, and novel range imaging techniques, such as Time-of-Flight (ToF), on the other. These sensors make full-range 3D data available at interactive frame rates, and, thus, opened the door towards highly-improved 3D vision systems and novel applications.

This Special Issue focuses on three main categories of topics related to range sensors:

1. Range sensor development and improvement: Novel active, passive, hybrid and/or multi-modal 3D imaging methods. Subtopics of interest include, but are not limited to:
   • ToF sensor improvement.
   • Novel ToF range imaging optical and operational techniques related to, e.g.,
     • AMCW, FMCW, and homodyne/heterodyne modulation.
     • Multi-path suppression, super-resolution, and motion blur mitigation.
   • 3D single photon imaging.
   • Improvement on structured-light range sensors.
   • Characterisation of range image sensors, including sensor performance and data quality metrics.
2. Range data processing: (Generic) pre-processing of range data, including calibration, data fusion, and accumulation of range sensor data, potentially combined with other modalities. Subtopics of interest include, but are not limited to:
   • Calibration.
   • Multi-path interference correction.
   • Motion blur correction.
   • Improvement on range extraction from structured-light and stereo cameras.
   • 3D sensor data fusion.
   • Models for representation of objects shape, appearance and dynamics.
   • Filtering and super-resolution.
3. Novel applications and systems, which leverage 3D imaging sensors. Subtopics of interest include, but are not limited to:
   • Range cameras for transient imaging or other inverse imaging problems.
   • 3D object and shape detection.
   • High quality online scene reconstruction.
   • Scene understanding.
   • Alternate ToF sensor applications, e.g., diffuse optical tomography and fluorescent lifetime imaging.

Across these fields, novel results of theoretical and practical significance in the field of range sensors and 3D range imaging will be considered.

Prof. Dr. Andreas Kolb
Prof. Dr. Jürgen Gall
Dr. Adrian A. Dorrington
Dr. Lee Streeter
Guest Editors

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