BASF Unveils Chemical-Based 3-D Sensor

German chemical giant BASF SE has developed a chemically based, single-lens passive optical sensor that can be used for 3-D imaging, EE Times reports.

BASF says its technology can track and form images of objects in three dimensions about twice as quickly as the human brain can achieve. The company also claims its sensor can do so at distances from microns to kilometers.

The system's range is dictated only by the lens, according to BASF. It says the sensor functions with ambient light, including infrared, and works passively.

The sensor uses dye-sensitized organic light-sensitive chemicals. The technology apparently determines direction according to the geometry of the detected illumination by measuring a "beam cross section of the illumination on the sensor area."

BASF anticipates a very broad market for the new technology, ranging from consumer electronics and security to transportation and medical equipment.

EE Times notes that the company's novel approach appears simpler and requires less computational power than more conventional systems that use two or more sensors to triangulate position.