Hardware

Depth Camera

Depth Camera is a sensor that measures per-pixel distance to the scene, producing depth maps typically alongside registered RGB images. Principal technologies include structured light, time-of-flight, and active or passive stereo, commercialized in devices such as the Microsoft Kinect and Intel RealSense series. Each modality trades range, resolution, and robustness differently; most struggle with transparent, reflective, or strongly sunlit surfaces.

Why it matters for physical AI

Depth sensing gives manipulation and navigation systems direct 3D geometry for grasp planning, obstacle avoidance, and scene reconstruction. Sensor artifacts on glass and metal remain a practical failure source that perception stacks must handle in deployment.