An amplitude-related error reduction method for Time-of-Flight imaging system

Abstract

Time-of-Flight (ToF) imaging system are widely used across various fields due to their high frame rates, high resolution, and robust performance. However, amplitude-related error remains a significant challenge, severely impacting the accuracy of distance measurements. To address this issue, we propose a novel method for reducing amplitude-related error in ToF imaging system. Initially, a comprehensive analysis on the sources of amplitude-related error is conducted, which divide the error into three categories, including distance factor, propagation factor, and noise factor. Based on the analysis, a three-stage method is proposed, including distance-adaptive adjustment, integration time control, and adaptive distance calculation, aiming to reduce the three types of the factors, respectively. Experimental results demonstrate that our method reduces the root mean square error and improves the peak signal-to-noise ratio of the depth images, thus significantly enhancing the performance of ToF imaging systems. We believe that this study provides new insights into error reduction of ToF imaging system and offers a valuable reference for improving the image quality of three-dimensional imaging systems.