Single-photon avalanche diodes offer ultra-sensitive light
imaging for enhanced security surveillance and traffic safety.
Public safety and security could benefit from the ability to
acquire images at very low light levels (e.g., no illumination), at high frame
rates (possibly thousands of frames per second), and also with distance
resolution (possibly millimeter precision). Nowadays, the imager market offers
a broad portfolio of either commercial- or scientific-grade cameras, ranging
from consumer CMOS cameras up to high-end CCD imagers, but none of them
simultaneously offers both high speed and ultra-high sensitivity. Our goal is
to process pixel-level intensity data (for 2D imaging) and depth information
(for 3D ranging, i.e., an object's distance) of rapidly changing scenes in
light-starved environments. Our consortium has focused on two principal
applications: automotive safety systems and security surveillance.