Toshiba has developed an image recognition technique that allows depth information to be derived from the data output of a single image sensor, in addition to a color image. The new technique provides excellent depth/range detection, comparable to that of a stereo camera.
 
The new image recognition technique uses a combination of color filters and image processing to obtain a color image as well as an extremely accurate depth map from a single sensor. A separate color filter in the aperture plane, consisting of blue and yellow filters, produces a combination of blur and color shifts that depend on the distance to the sensed object. The distance to the object is calculated for each pixel by image analysis of the blur and the color shift.
 
Degradation of the captured image is avoided by the relative transparency of the filter to green light, which makes a major contribution to overall image brightness. Tests with a commercial camera have shown that the accuracy of the calculated distances with a single sensor corresponds to that of a stereo camera with lenses 35 mm apart.