Active stereo projects a pattern with an infrared emitter and does stereo matching; structured light reads depth from how a known pattern distorts; time-of-flight reads distance directly from a phase shift — three coexisting approaches to depth cameras. We look at the principles behind each and real examples from the Intel RealSense D435i, Microsoft Kinect, Orbbec Femto Bolt, and iPhone TrueDepth, and trace how Israeli startup PrimeSense's technology gave birth to Kinect, got acquired by Apple, and was reborn as Face ID.
July 29, 2026 Sensors & HardwareA stereo camera triangulates distance from the disparity between two lenses, solving the absolute-scale problem that fundamentally limits monocular cameras. We look at real specs from the Stereolabs ZED 2i, Luxonis OAK-D, and e-con Systems TARA, and trace the baseline-length tradeoff through the evolution of Subaru's EyeSight, which has shipped on over 5 million vehicles since 2008 — plus the story of how EyeSight's creator left Subaru to found his own stereo-vision startup.
July 23, 2026 Sensors & HardwareA monocular camera reads lane lines, signs, and obstacles through a single lens, gaining low cost and a small footprint at the price of a fundamental limitation — a single image alone cannot fix absolute distance. We look at real examples from Mobileye EyeQ6L, Tesla HW4, Continental MFC500, and comma.ai to see how each works around that constraint, and trace how a Hebrew University lab became Mobileye and was acquired by Intel for over $15 billion, plus Tesla's 2021 decision to "delete" radar from Tesla Vision.