Thanks to a collaboration with Canon, EPFL researchers have created a camera capable of taking 3D photos with unequaled speed and definition. MegaX is so fast that it can capture the path of individual photons!
Researchers from (EPFL), in association with Canon, have developed a new kind of camera. Thanks to single photon avalanche diodes (SPAD), MegaX is able to capture the path of individual photons with a definition of one million pixels .
MegaX can record up to 24,000 images per second, and capture very dark and very bright objects at the same time. “We can enormously increase the dynamics, which is not possible with a high definition camera” said Professor Edoardo Charbon .
3D images of multiple objects simultaneously
The device can also measure the duration of a photon’s path between the object and the camera. This means that it functions as a sensor to time of flight (ToF) for 3D images with an implementation including augmented reality . In addition MegaX can detect several objects simultaneously. The researchers were able to measure at the same time the distance of a sphere and a transparent plate placed in front, yet invisible on a 2D image.
MegaX is not currently intended to replace the photo modules in our smartphones . The sensor is much larger, with each pixel measuring 9 micrometers , compared to 0.9 micrometers in a traditional camera. “The goal of my research is not necessarily to adapt the MegaX model to a conventional camera, but to create a 4D camera (3 dimensions plus time) with as many pixels as possible in order to obtain a higher resolution ” a said Professor Edoardo Charbon .