CNS Core: Medium: Characterization, Mitigation, and Management of Active 3D Camera Interference

This project focuses on interference encountered in active 3D camera networks. Active 3D cameras are gaining widespread use in many scenarios, primarily to understand location and presence of objects in vicinity of the camera. While expensive forms of it is common in autonomous vehicles for understanding the environment, technological improvements have led to these devices to be inexpensive, and suitable for integration in common mobile devices, such as smartphones and tablets.

In such mobile devices, active 3D cameras enable many new ways that users can interact with the physical world. Active 3D cameras operate by sending light pulses in different directions, and by observing the reflections of these light pulses, can understand the properties of its environment. As more and more devices are equipped with active 3D cameras, chances of interference between multiple active 3D cameras go up.

As the light pulses from different active 3D cameras "collide" in space and time, the inference about the environment is going to be inaccurate. In the case of autonomous vehicles this can lead to incorrect estimates of objects in the physical world leading to disastrous consequences. In the case of common mobile devices and their applications, such errors will lead to poor user experience and overall performance.

While this problem has not been a significant issue thus far, due to limited number of active 3D cameras in our environment, the significant reduction in its cost will likely lead to an explosion of these devices. This project is designing methods by which such interference between active 3D cameras can be detected, mitigated, thereby preserving their usefulness in diverse scenarios.

Beyond the core research activities, the project also involves significant educational components which include setup of a laboratory-oriented curriculum around 3D camera and wireless systems for students at both the undergraduate and graduate levels; creation of interactive, children-focused workshops on “fun with cameras” at public science events in the University Wisconsin-Madison campus; and engagement of undergraduates in research activities. The outreach plan involves engagement with industrial partners, public dissemination of results through project website, through open-sourced artifacts, and through conferences and journals, and in creating specific forums that encourage students from underrepresented groups towards STEM careers.

This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.