Robust depth sensing with adaptive structured light illumination

•We establish a practical depth sensing system with adaptive illumination.•We propose a focus adaptation strategy for depth sensing.•We propose an exposure adaptation strategy for depth sensing.

Automatic focus and exposure are the key components in digital cameras nowadays, which jointly play an essential role for capturing a high quality image/video. In this paper, we make an attempt to address these two challenging issues for future depth cameras. Relying on a programmable projector, we establish a structured light system for depth sensing with focus and exposure adaptation. The basic idea is to change current illumination pattern and intensity locally according to the prior depth information. Consequently, multiple object surfaces appearing at different depths in the scene can receive proper illumination respectively. In this way, more flexible and robust depth sensing can be achieved in comparison with fixed illumination, especially at near depth.