Generally, smartphones are equipped with multiple lenses. In recent years, many smartphones have been equipped with a camera. There are many different names for this camera. For example, a ToF (time of flight) camera, also called a depth sensor, is not a camera used to take pictures. Instead, it is used to collect data used to calculate photography. Therefore, it is usually a low-resolution (2MP or below) camera.The purpose of the ToF camera is to create a three-dimensional map, or depth map, of a scene. This is done by shooting out a laser and calculating the time it takes for it to bounce off a surface and reflect back to the camera. This information is used to analyse what’s close to the camera and what’s in the background.
When taking portrait shots, that background/foreground information gathered by the depth sensor can be used to create artificial effects such as the blurred background that separates the subject from the background. This camera also provides information for AR (augmented reality) applications.
