What is a time of flight (ToF) Sensor?

A Time of Flight (ToF) sensor is an optical sensor used to measure distance, velocity, and other related measurements. Various type of signals can be used to build ToF sensors, but typically either (infrared) light or sound are used as carrier signal. The sensor emits a pulse of the carrier signal, which is reflected off of an object, and then measures the time it took for the pulse to return. This process can be repeated multiple times to get an accurate measurement of the distance between two points. ToF sensors can also be used to measure other parameters such as speed, angle, and direction of objects.

Applications for Time-of-Flight Sensors

ToF sensors have become increasingly popular due to their ability to accurately measure distances between objects in complex environments with reflections, shadows, low lighting, etc., where other distance measurement devices may struggle. Additionally, ToF sensors are non-contact systems which means they do not require physical contact with an object in order to measure its distance – this makes them ideal for use in applications where contactless measurements are required or desired.