A $500 “nano-camera” that can operate at the speed of light has been developed by researchers in the MIT Media Lab.

The 3D camera, which was presented last week at Siggraph Asia in Hong Kong, could be used in medical imaging and collision-avoidance detectors for cars, and to improve the accuracy of motion tracking and gesture-recognition devices used in interactive gaming.

The camera is based on “time of flight” technology like that used in Microsoft’s recently launched second-generation Kinect device, in which the location of objects is calculated by how long it takes a light signal to reflect off a surface and return to the sensor. However, unlike existing devices based on this technology, the new camera is not fooled by rain, fog, or even translucent objects, says co-author Achuta Kadambi, a graduate student at MIT.

MIT students (left to right) Ayush Bhandari, Refael Whyte, and Achuta Kadambi pose next to their “nano-camera” that can capture translucent objects, such as a glass vase, in 3D. (Photo: Bryce Vickmark)

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