Algorithms-Driven Optoelectronic Devices for Three-Dimensional Imaging.

Abstract

Three-dimensional (3D) imaging captures spatial depth and multidimensional attributes, enabling precise scene reconstruction for diverse applications in robotics, augmented reality, precision medicine, and industrial processing. Fundamentally, 3D imaging relies on integrating front-end sensing devices with back-end computational algorithms. Recent algorithmic advances, particularly those leveraging artificial intelligence, impose stringent hardware demands, rendering traditional sensors such as charge-coupled device and complementary metal oxide semiconductor cameras insufficient for emerging applications. Driven by these novel paradigms, a new generation of front-end devices has emerged, including metasurfaces, neuromorphic cameras, and reconfigurable optoelectronic components, collectively overcoming limitations in speed, sensitivity, and resolution. These hardware innovations enhance multidimensional data acquisition, facilitating real-time processing, and robust depth extraction. This Mini-Review systematically introduces algorithm-driven front-end sensors, encompassing conventional, emerging optoelectronic, and photonic devices, highlighting their distinct performance advantages. Finally, we address the current manufacturing and integration limitations of these novel devices, providing perspectives on future opportunities.