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Edward Lowton
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Photonic mixer device
09 August 2016
The O3D300 from ifm electronic is a sensor capable of measuring three dimensions at once. The PMD technology that ifm has been using for some time in ground-breaking optical sensors has many more uses. Sensors using this photonic mixer device detect a single point several metres distant from the sensor, and actually measure that distance using time-of-flight.
The notable feature of PMD is in capturing that information from a single point, on a single electronic chip. That single point with its distance measurement assembled into an array on a slightly larger chip provides three axes of measurement, resulting in a truly three-dimensional view from a given point. The O3D300 can scan a static object, or pile of bulk material without the movement that might be needed for a line scanner.
The software that ifm supplies free of charge makes setting the task extremely easy. Basically by showing the sensor where to look and what to look for using on-screen tools that can easily be mastered, the user is guided through tasks that the sensor can handle, such as the following:
