(OSRAM: Munich, Germany) -- A fast laser diode of OSRAM Opto Semiconductors provides light for the new 3-D camera from the Swedish manufacturer FOTONIC. The component has been developed specially for 3-D cameras like the FOTONIC C70. It facilitates range finding for moving objects with good depth resolution at video rate.

OSRAM Opto Semiconductors’ new infrared laser diode provides high-optical power of about 0.5 watt, even when in continuous wave operation. With a wavelength of about 845 nanometers, the light is hardly visible to the human eye, and yet it is well within the sensibility range of the camera chip.

Three-dimensional cameras superimpose a 2-D picture with information on the range and surface profile of an object. Industrial applications for such systems include gauging fluid levels or grading objects according to size or shape. Three-dimensional sensors also provide reliable stereoscopic information, e.g., for the controlling robot arms.

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